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Dr. Matthew Harmon of Port Charles

Synopsis
October 1999 - March 2000

(This page is under construction)

Matt was very hurt when he found out that Ellen had left Port Charles in the middle of her shift without saying goodbye to him. He went to her apartment and knocked on the door. Matt was shocked when Chris Ramsey opened the door; he could see Rachel Locke standing back of Chris. As he entered the apartment, he realized that all of Ellens belongings had been removed from the apartment, and he learned that Rachel had moved in. Rachel told him that Ellen had to leave right away, and that she had put her things in storage. Rachel had been looking for a place to live and Ellen sub-leased her apartment to her. An angry and hurt Matt vowed to Chris and Rachel that he would get to the bottom of the mystery of Ellen's leaving so suddenly.

Matt later received a letter from Ellen from New Orleans. She told Matt that she had not gone to San Francisco right away, but was in New Orleans to try to reach closure regarding Sebastian, and to sort out her feelings about him, Matt, and to begin her life anew.

In the months after Ellen left, Matt threw himself into his work, trying to forget her. He volunteered for double shifts and worked himself to the point of mental and physical exhaustion. His colleagues began to fear that he was not only injuring himself, but that he was risking the lives of his patients.

Kevin Collins remembered that Ellen had repeatedly told him that she thought she knew Rachel from somewhere. He, and Matt too, felt that Rachel had something to do with Ellen's disappearance, and Kevin promised to help Matt pursue this, since he was interested in learning something about Rachel's past. At one point, Kevin called a clinic in Florida, and the call was answered by someone who Kevin thought sounded like Ellen. He learned that the person was one Barbara Greene. Matt went to Florida, only to find out that Barbara Green had left her job at the clinic. There was no further attempt to find Ellen, and the character of Matt was placed further back on back-burner status, only to appear occasionally in the course of his duties as a doctor at General Hospital, or as support for some of the other characters.

In March 2000, it was announced that Mitch Longley was not renewing his contract on the show and that the last air date for Matt would be in late April. It was further announced in a press release by ABC Daytime that Matt would have a storyline in early April where he would walk on the show, demonstrating the Parastep-I FES System that allows some paraplegics to walk, a system that Mitch Longley uses in real life:

ABC DAYTIME'S ''PORT CHARLES'' INTRODUCES GROUNDBREAKING
THERAPEUTIC ADVANCEMENT SYSTEM, PARASTEP-I, ON APRIL 18, 2000

The ABC Daytime drama, ''Port Charles,'' will make innovative strides beginning TUESDAY, APRIL 18, by introducing the groundbreaking therapeutic advancement system, Parastep-I. Doctor Matt Harmon, played by Mitch Longley (who has used a wheelchair since a car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down in his late teens) will introduce and demonstrate this remarkable device.

Bringing technology to the forefront, ''Port Charles'' has incorporated the use of the Parastep-I System into Dr. Harmon's storyline. The Parastep-I System is a microcomputer-controlled, neuromuscular electrical stimulation system that enables unbraced standing and short-distance walking by certain spinal cord-injured persons with paraplegia or quadriplegia. Having worked with Parastep over the last few years, Mr. Longley has improved his cardiovascular endurance and increased muscle mass in his quadriceps.

''The fact that the 'Port Charles' producers have decided to incorporate the Parastep system into my character's storyline is another wonderful example of how daytime television addresses issues which are not only entertaining, but educational as well,'' enthuses Mr. Longley. ''It's a reflection of a certain social responsibility I am proud to be a part of.''

''We have all learned a great deal from Mitch about the importance of continued stimulation and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries,'' adds executive producer Julie Carruthers. ''It is very exciting to bring such an innovative rehabilitation tool to the attention of our viewers.''

Parastep will be introduced into the show through a conversation between Dr. Harmon and Dr. Joe Scanlon (David Gail), in which Harmon shares the exciting details of this rehabilitation device. Later the two men petition Alan Quartermaine (Stuart Damon) for an order approval, but are disheartened when the financial aspect is considered. Determined, Matt finds a way to have the equipment brought to ''General Hospital'' and begins his own experimental treatment.

After appearing in a Ralph Lauren Polo print ad, Longley caught the attention of casting agents and landed a role on the television series, ''Another World.'' Other television credits include ''Vanishing Son'' and ''Burning Zone.'' He is currently appearing on stage in Los Angeles in a one-man show that he also wrote, titled ''Courting Darkness.''

Mr. Longley is the founder of the non-profit organization SOWOHO, Spirit of the Wounded Horse, Inc., which helps underprivileged Native Americans with physical disabilities. In November 1990, he traveled to Egypt and conducted research on disability-related issues.

Sigmedics, Inc. was incorporated in 1988 for the purpose of developing, manufacturing and marketing rehabilitation products for the spinal cord injured.

Its first product, the Parastep-I System was designed to emphasize safety and simplicity of use. The system is the result of many years of laboratory study and clinical collaboration by Drs. Graupe and Kohn, at the University of Illinois and at Humana-Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, both in Chicago.

The Parastep is a patented, microcomputer-controlled functional electrical stimulation system that enables unbraced standing and short distance walking by appropriately selected and trained upper-motor-neuron injured patients with paraplegia and some incomplete patients with quadriplegia. It has the capability of directing up to six channels of electrical stimulation to the user's lower extremities and trunk, and with the aid of a specially adapted rolling walker, it enables the user to stand from a sitting position, walk for short distances and resume a sitting position.

The Parastep-I System is available by prescription from an orthopedist or other physician and is accompanied by 32 required training sessions. The user is taught to initiate and control the intensity of stimulation to the muscles and nerves through the keypad on the control unit. It is the only such device to have received U.S. Food & Drug Administration approval for commercial marketing in the United States. For more information about Parastep, please contact Sigmedics, Inc. at (847) 279-0390 or email Frank Zeiss at fzeiss@ameritech.com.

''Port Charles'' is a spin-off of the top-rated, award-winning drama, ''General Hospital,'' and features three of ''General Hospital's'' most beloved characters: Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring), Kevin Collins (Jon Lindstrom) and Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner). ''Port Charles'' focuses on the romantic lives, loves and adventures of dynamic young doctors who strive to balance their careers and personal entanglements. It debuted on the ABC Television Network on June 1, 1997, as a two-hour, primetime special. Core characters from each drama often appear on both shows.

Thus, it was with mixed feelings that fans of Matt Harmon began the month of April 2000.