Maryland veteran’s death leads to law that requires doctors to ask about military service

By Mike Hellgren

Click here for updates on this story

    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan went to an urgent care in Baltimore with what he thought was strep throat and ended up dead days later.

His loved ones believe that if doctors had known about his military service, it would have alerted them to a treatable heart condition that could have saved his life.

A new Maryland law passed in his honor means everyone will soon be asked a simple question when they visit the doctor: “Have you served?”

The question haunts Jessica Fast, the widow of 29-year-old Sergeant First Class Matthew Fast.

“What a simple question,” Jessica Fast said. “What if they had asked that question? What would’ve changed if they did?”

Another night that tore Jessica Fast’s life apart was when she thought her husband was sleeping, but he wasn’t responsive.

“I’m doing one of these nudges to your partner that you’re like stop snoring, and he wasn’t really moving or acknowledging,” Jessica Fast said. “I recall one really big breath—like really, really heavy, big breath—and I couldn’t get him to respond at all.”

Jessica Fast called 911. Matthew Fast got to the hospital, but doctors could not save him.

Jessica Fast said it was surreal.

“They were working on him giving chest compressions, and I just wasn’t aware. It just wasn’t registering that this could happen,” she told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. “And then the chaplain came in, and I was just so confused. They gave us a chance to see him before he passed away. He was just so peaceful. His parents got there, and yeah, he was 29.”

Matthew Fast, a police officer in Frederick, seemed healthy but did visit an urgent care facility in Baltimore City a few days before he died.

“He’s like, ‘I think it’s just strep. It feels like my chest, my throat.’ So, they tested him for strep,” Jessica Fast said. “They did the rapid one and the long one. The rapid one came back, no strep,” she recalled. “So, they said, ‘Ok, go get some rest. Go get some over-the-counter medicine, food, and sleep, and if you still don’t feel well, give us a call back.'”

Doctors did not know or ask about Fast’s military service with the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For years, Matthew Fast was exposed to burn pits.

“That is where they disposed of anything from human waste to garbage and trash to batteries,” Jessica Fast said. “And that’s burning steps away from where these individuals are sleeping, and they’re breathing that in. We know that exposure to those burn pits will cause long-term damage. To what extent? We are now seeing that, and it’s pretty devastating.”

A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association published last year looked at almost half a million veterans and found a significant increase in those with heart problems.

Jessica said in her husband’s case, the burn pits caused myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, which led to his death.

If only the doctor had asked about his military service, she believes it would have revealed symptoms of something far more serious.

“That one question could have changed our story. That one question could have given him time. That one question would have allowed him to meet his son,” Jessica Fast said.

William Folden was a mentor to Matthew Fast and considered him a brother.

During part of his interview with WJZ, he held Fast’s son in his arms. Jessica found out she was pregnant just a week after her husband’s death.

Folden is also a Maryland state senator who wanted to take action to make sure no other family feels this pain.

“His legacy will be the idea that he continues to educate others in his passing,” Sen. Folden said. “And that, hopefully, no one else will die that death that he suffered as a result of his service-connected ailments that were just missed. Missed. A lot of service members are reluctant to go when they first start feeling bad because they’re always taught to just move on. Move past it.”

The senator introduced the SFC Matthew Fast Act, requiring all healthcare facilities in Maryland to ask their patients whether they’ve served in the military.

“That could reveal or at least lead the physician on another path that might save a life,” Senator Folden said. “And in Matthew’s case, I believe it would’ve.”

It passed unanimously.

At the bill signing, Senator Folden wore Matthew Fast’s patriotic jacket—the same one he wore to give the eulogy.

Fast’s young son wore it, too.

Maryland is now the first state in the country to pass such legislation.

“I would love to see the VA step in and really champion this in all 50 states and make it a requirement at the federal level because it’s time,” Folden said.

Jessica Fast knows her husband Matthew’s legacy will be helping those who served.

“If we can save other children from having to lose a parent at 29, and if we can save other mothers from having to bury their son at 29, that is worth it,” she said.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.