Matthew is in the awkward position of being the son of two of the most prominent Llanview citizens — Bo Buchanan and Nora Hanen. Think it's easy being Matthew? Read on.

1999: Matthew Hanen Rappaport is born on Feb. 22. His mother, Nora, believes Sam Rappaport, the man she was having an affair with, is Matthew's father, and not her husband, Bo Buchanan. When Bo finds out about this paternity situation, he ends his marriage to Nora.

2001: Troy MacIver diagnoses Matthew with a rare muscle condition and cures him with experimental medication. Matthew becomes a big fan of Dr. Troy.

2003: Lindsay, Nora's longtime nemesis and Sam's ex-wife, shoots Sam. He leaves behind a letter that reveals a startling and shocking truth — Bo is Matthew's biological father. Although Bo is happy, he is also filled with regret about having missed Matthew's early years. Matthew doesn't want to change his name out of respect to the man he thought was his father.

2005: Matthew Rappaport changes his name to Matthew Buchanan on Father's Day, as a gift to Bo. Bo and all the Buchanans are overjoyed.

2008: Matthew begins high school and has trouble fitting in. He buys a joint to impress the kids at school, especially the girl he likes, Becca. Although he doesn't smoke the joint, his parents find it and are, to say the least, not pleased. Bo wants to send him to military school. Bo and Nora realize that Matthew is no longer the sweet little boy they knew; he's a teen with some teen attitude.

2009: Matthew is humiliated at the school dance and ends up at the wrong place at the wrong time: in the passenger seat of Cole's car. Cole is strung out on pills, and the two end up in an accident that leaves Matthew paralyzed from the waist down. Uncle Clint brings in a world-famous neurosurgeon, Dr. Greg Evans, who boasts that he can get Matthew to walk again. Matthew is hopeful, but Bo and Nora worry about the risks and say no to the surgery. Matthew, at his friend Destiny's prodding, decides to take his parents to court.