Mattie Miracle Walk 2023 was a $131,249 success!

Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation Promotional Video

Thank you for keeping Mattie's memory alive!

Dear Mattie Blog Readers,

It means a great deal to us that you take the time to write to us and to share your thoughts, feelings, and reflections on Mattie's battle and death. Your messages are very meaningful to us and help support us through very challenging times. To you we are forever grateful. As my readers know, I promised to write the blog for a year after Mattie's death, which would mean that I could technically stop writing on September 9, 2010. However, at the moment, I feel like our journey with grief still needs to be processed and fortunately I have a willing support network still committed to reading. Therefore, the blog continues on. If I should find the need to stop writing, I assure you I will give you advanced notice. In the mean time, thank you for reading, thank you for having the courage to share this journey with us, and most importantly thank you for keeping Mattie's memory alive.


As Mattie would say, Ooga Booga (meaning, I LOVE YOU)! Vicki and Peter



The Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation celebrates its 7th anniversary!

The Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation was created in the honor of Mattie.

We are a 501(c)(3) Public Charity. We are dedicated to increasing childhood cancer awareness, education, advocacy, research and psychosocial support services to children, their families and medical personnel. Children and their families will be supported throughout the cancer treatment journey, to ensure access to quality psychosocial and mental health care, and to enable children to cope with cancer so they can lead happy and productive lives. Please visit the website at: www.mattiemiracle.com and take some time to explore the site.

We have only gotten this far because of people like yourself, who have supported us through thick and thin. So thank you for your continued support and caring, and remember:

.... Let's Make the Miracle Happen and Stomp Out Childhood Cancer!

A Remembrance Video of Mattie

May 19, 2012

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2008. Mattie had just had his second limb salvaging surgery. By that point the only intact limb he had was his left leg. This leg was cleverly renamed, Curious George. This was the perfect name for this leg because it literally got into trouble and Mattie used it almost like an arm. What was so incredible about this picture, was this was only days after a massive surgery, yet Mattie wanted to do something and decided he wanted to play on the computer. He couldn't use either arm, so instead used his left foot and leg on the mouse pad. If this picture doesn't scream out hope and determination, I don't know what does.


Quote of the day: I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act. ~ Bill Gates




Today was a day of reunions. Peter's parents drove into town from Boston to be at the Foundation Walk on Sunday. So pictured from left to right are: Peter, Don (Peter's Dad), Barbara (Peter's Mom), Virginia (my mom), and Mauro (my dad). Both sets of parents gravitated to our garden area, which tells me that this space is perceived as cozy and inviting. This seemed like the perfect photo to take given in particular that tomorrow's Foundation walk theme is "Love of Family."

Unfortunately from my perspective battling childhood cancer is not finite. Once cancer has hit your life as a parent, the ramifications of the disease seem to remain with you. Regardless of the outcome. So in many ways, one does need the love of family to manage, cope, and recover with a lifetime of grief.

This afternoon, my parents and I went to pick up Karen, my lifetime friend. Karen arrived at Union Station and then we all went out to lunch together. I met Karen when I was only 11 years old and in many ways she is a part of our family. All seven of us had dinner together and I can't recall the last time we were able to do this. I know when I lived in Boston, these kind of dinners happened often, but as geography has separated all of us, these reunions have gotten harder. Naturally with Mattie's death, this has been very hard for all of us, because a crucial part of our dynamic is gone.

I am signing off for the evening. Wish us luck tomorrow for the Foundation's walk! For all of you who have registered, contributed, and supported us in some way, we THANK YOU!

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