Matt Fioretti is a Himalayan climber and guide based in Seattle, Washington. For 11 years he traveled to the Himalayas every Spring and Fall to climb, guide clients or lead treks. In Seattle he owns and operates Four Winds, a retail store (with the same name as his travel company) that sells one of a kind items from Nepal, Tibet, Indonesia and other exotic destinations. The inventory runs from jewelery, clothing and gifts to beauiful teak furniture and Kashmiri silk carpets.

It was after a trip to Nepal in 2004 that he first noticed something was wrong. His energy levels just seemed too low. Though at first he dismissed it as residual fatigue from the trip, it continued to get worse. Eventually he went to see a doctor and after a battery of tests he was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, a disease affecting the bone marrow's ability to produce blood cells. In severe cases such as his there is practically no chance of survival without treatment. While drugs can help some people, Matt needed a bone marrow transplant.

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Matt in front of Ama Dablam, Nepal

At camp 1 on Ama Dablam, 2001

all images copyright dave ohlson