Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Tonight's picture was taken in October of 2008. This photo was actually captured by my dear friend Margaret who came to visit us in the hospital. Margaret was Mattie's first preschool teacher at Resurrection Children's Center. I can tell that this photo was taken on a Friday! Mainly because we were in the hallway watching an experiment being performed by the Georgetown University Chemistry Club. The Club visited on Fridays and their visits were something we always looked forward to, especially seeing Chris, the Club's president. Chris understood Mattie, and knew how to engage his attention. That day, Chris distributed roses to the kids. The experiment was to dip the rose into dry ice and then drop the rose on the floor! The rose after being dipped into dry ice would cause the rose to break apart into very tiny pieces. Though Mattie was intrigued by the experiment, he did not want to give up his rose and see it destroyed on the floor. So he held onto his rose and Margaret being a cultivator of roses, I imagine decided to snap this moment in time! She later sent me this photo which I of course now cherish!


Quote of the day: We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community. ~ Dorothy Day

Just when you would think there is NO MORE candy to be picked up, delivered, or sorted, you would be VERY WRONG!!! It just seems to be coming in from every direction. I have actually had to turn some schools and groups away this year because we have too much as it is. Though I have tried to do most of the candy transfers from one location to the next myself, today Tina and Ann came into DC and delivered an overwhelming load of candy to me. As you can see it filled the whole back end of an SUV. 

Unlike Ann and Tina, where Peter and I live in DC, parking is a royal problem! If it weren't for the assistance of our complex staff, shuttling candy from Tina's car to our home would have been impossible today! Mainly because there is no place for Tina to park the car easily that gives us access to the door! But Detra who manages our front desk has been helping us with our candy drive and helped me get this bin on wheels from our maintenance department and allowed Tina to park in the loading dock! As we were transporting candy in the HUGE bin this morning, I posed for a photo with all the wonderful women who support us in our complex. Maria works in our sales office and is our friend and fantastic supporter. She organized a candy collection for our drive with the complex staff and practically every staff member contributed. We are very fortunate to have such a loving community here that appreciates us. Pictured with me are... Detra, Maria, Irene and Mazie!

I was under some sort of delusion that I could move this candy myself. Fortunately Ann and Tina kept at me insisting they would help me. I am glad I ultimately listened because I have moved so much already that I really did not have the energy to
take this on alone. Getting the candy from the car, into the bins, through my hallways, onto the elevators, and into my home is truly a feat. It may not sound complicated but it all adds up and it is the ultimate work out! Getting this large bin onto the elevator is a riot and could be a comedy show episode in and of itself. Mainly because the wheels of the bin get caught in the groves of the elevator threshold and the bin won't move. It just seems to get stuck, not moving in or out of the elevator. At one point Ann and Tina were inside the elevator trying to lift the bin into the elevator and I was on the outside of the elevator sitting on the rim of the bin trying to tip the bin up so the bin would clear the grooves on the floor of the elevator. It was one for the books, you had to see it to believe it!  

I posted this on Facebook today! As I said the candy was rolling in as were the volunteers who were processing it! If I had to title this photo, I would call it "Three in a bin!" 

This is just one side of my dining room! Believe it or not the other wall is also filled with candy! We are pretty sure we have over 3000 pounds of candy. 

Later in the afternoon, I ventured to Bishop Ireton High School. I was invited to present to the Charity in Medicine Club. The president of the Club is Isabel Anderson (who is second from the right in this photo). Isabel is a Junior and has been volunteering with Mattie Miracle since 2012. Isabel and her Club is hosting many special activities for children at Georgetown University Hospital over the course of this year. She asked me to come talk to her Club about Mattie, Mattie Miracle, and facts about childhood cancer and the importance of psychosocial support. There are a total of 80 students in this Club, but only a handful came today. 

I debated showing these teenage girls Mattie's 4 minute remembrance video, but in the end, I did display it. Mattie is the reason why there is a Foundation and he grounds the work that I do. Therefore, it is vital that people know about him. After I showed the video I asked the students for their feedback. I have never shown this video to this age group before, so I was actually curious to hear their insights. One of the observations that was shared was that Mattie seemed like a happy child from the beginning to the end. I thought that was an astute observation. Mattie had a relatively miserable existence with cancer, yet Peter and I worked hard to make him feel safe, secure, and to know that we had a plan to fight his disease. If Mattie was perceived as happy I do attribute this to our parenting. I can freely admit this and of course add to that the fact that Mattie was also a special spirit. 

The students were absolutely blown away by the childhood cancer statistics I shared with them. They couldn't get over the lack of adequate NIH funding for childhood cancer, how old and antiquated the drugs are that children are treated with, and the fact that a classroom of children are diagnosed with cancer a day and around four children a day die from the disease. It is shocking and even more shocking that this seems like the best kept secret in the United States.

After my presentation many of the students came up to chat with me. They signed up for our e-newsletters and wanted access to our cancer facts so they can share them on blogs and in other communications and assignments. So though the group may have been small today, I feel as if the message did get out.