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

January 14, 2013

Monday, January 14, 2013

Monday, January 14, 2013


Tonight's picture was taken in January of 2005. Mattie was almost three years old and FULL of energy. Mattie
loved staying close to me and if I was working in the kitchen, he wanted to be there too. That particular day, I picked him up and put him on one of my counters so we could work together. It is hard not to have this wonderful helper around on a day to day basis.



Quote of the day: When your cat rubs the side of its face along your leg, it's affectionately marking you with its scent, identifying you as its private property, saying, in effect, 'You belong to me.' ~ Susan McDonough


When I brought Patches to the vet last week, they weighed her. She was a shocking 7 pounds. It is hard to see Patches shrinking before our eyes. Patches spends most of her daytime hours now napping. She is still up throughout the night, some things don't change. However, her howling is more intense and sounds like the crying of a baby. Peter noticed that the pain medication was making her sick to her stomach and therefore couldn't hold down anything she was eating. So we are trying to figure out that balance so she is comfortable. If she can eat, respond to us, and seems to be comfortable then from my perspective it isn't time to put her to sleep yet.

I have noticed after Mattie died that there are times during the year when I just get very tired. Perhaps the tiredness results from projects I take on, and then the accumulative effect occurs, and I get worn down tremendously. But I have noticed I am hitting one of those brick walls now. I am currently involved in multiple projects and the stress associated with them weighs on me. However, I think it is more than just the physical projects that wear me out. They all have an emotional component to them, and somehow post-cancer, it is much harder for me to manage and cope with various tasks. Mattie had the cancer, but his disease impacted both Peter and I in so many ways.



This photo was taken of Patches tonight. It may not seem unusual to you, but to me Patches' face looks sullen, she looks very thin, and doesn't have the life and sparkle she once did. Nonetheless despite her physical condition, she stays close to us and is a beautiful cat.



 

1 comment:

Cassandra Tseckares Hostetler said...

Vicki and Peter, I'm so sad that you are losing Patches! Yes, she looks thin, and the late night howling is most likely related to her hyperthyroidism and to senility. If you leave nightlights on throughout the house it might help her not be disoriented in the dark; it helped both of our elderly kitties somewhat in their last year. We still have about 5 different nightlights on all night! We had to put Holly down in July - she looked so much like your Patches, that I still get choked up when I see the photos of Patches with Mattie. Honestly, you just keep loving her until it's time. You two will need to come to that time when you are "ready" (not that you ever will be). My thoughts are with you two and with Patches. I think of you often throughout the day, I know how hard a decision it is. Cassandra