Monday, February 11, 2013

Monday, February 11, 2013

Tonight's picture was taken in February of 2009. Jenny (Mattie's art therapist) and I were taking Mattie to the clinic. What you may not be able to see was that Jenny and I were running alongside the wheelchair. Mattie wanted to go down the ramp between the main building and the clinic but he literally wanted me to let go of the chair so he could feel the rush of flying, like on a roller coaster. Something we did not share in common! Naturally I couldn't let go of the wheelchair for various safety reasons, but Jenny and I decided to gently hold the chair and run down the ramp with Mattie so he could experience the fun. Mattie loved it and you can see a hospital employee in the background watching our antics! With Mattie, regardless of the context, there were always antics.  


Quote of the day: Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. ~ George Eliot


Though we did a big push this weekend for this week's events, there was still more last minute things to do today. Naturally with the think tank comes a luncheon that needs to be planned as well as a dinner with our key psycho-oncologists. Working with hotel staff who are on a three hour time difference from me is tricky, which is funny because I would have thought how significant could three hours be?! Well it is somehow, yet by the end of today, everything was settled.

Tomorrow is our last full day with Patches before she gets boarded at the vet. Peter comes back from Los Angeles on Sunday, so I am hoping that in less than a week away from us she will be okay. She is sticking close to us now and I know our presence provides her comfort. But I know I can't take her to LA and I also know that her vet understands her. Just a quandary.

I want our readers to officially know that at the national conference we are attending this week that Mattie Miracle was nominated for an award and will be the proud recipient of a Distinguished Public Service Award. This award acknowledges our work on the national level. Below I have included the award criteria and then a link to the award announcement.

Distinguished Public Service Award

Purpose: The Distinguished Public Service Award is presented to a leader in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of psychosocial oncology.

Eligibility: Nominees must demonstrate outstanding contributions to the field of Psychosocial Oncology at the national level. Additionally, the APOS Board of Directors shall consider to what degree the nominee assists APOS in fulfilling its aims to accomplish the following:

• Promote the highest professional standards of psychosocial oncology;
• Study, research, and exchange information, experiences, and ideas leading to improved psychosocial oncology;
• Encourage clinicians to specialize in the practice of psychosocial oncology;
• Foster the professional development of psychosocial clinicians, individually or collectively;
• Increase consumer awareness of the importance of psychosocial oncology.

To nominate an APOS or community member for this award, please submit a letter of nomination and the nominee’s curriculum vitae (or resume) to APOS Headquarters. The letter of nomination should specifically state why the nominee is deserving of the award by providing evidence of how the individual has contributed to providing outstanding service to the public related to the field of psychosocial oncology.

http://www.apos-society.org/about/awards/awards.aspx