Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2003. Mattie went from a child who strongly disliked bath time to one who really loved everything about being in the bathtub. He even loved to sit in it and just play. Fully clothed, without any water on. He would start with a few toys, his soap bottles and some how by the time he was finished more and more toys seemed to have found their way into the tub. 


Quote of the day: Remembering tires a person out. this is something they don't teach us. Exercising one's memory is an exhausting activity. It draws our energy and wears down our muscles. ~ Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Today a bunch of women who I met during Mattie's preschool days got together to celebrate our friend Catherine's birthday. Catherine's daughter and Mattie were in the same preschool class two years in a row and we have known each other since 2005. A lot has happened in our lives since that time. While Mattie was battling cancer, so was Catherine. In many ways, our stories are different but yet we have a great deal of commonalities. Our lives get quite busy and we are all moving in different directions, but to me birthdays are important to acknowledge and today we took Catherine to Mattie's favorite restaurant. I saw many of the people who know us quite well. At times when I sit in this room in which this photograph was taken, I think of Mattie. 

Meanwhile, while I was at lunch, the Charity Through Medicine Club from Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, VA was at Georgetown University Hospital. This Club is working is conjunction with Mattie Miracle this year. They are bringing social activities and cheer to children in the Hospital. Today's activity that they coordinated was decorating large Gingerbread Men cookies with the children. This photo shows the team of teen girls who came to work in the in-patient pediatric units of the Hospital. Working in the inpatient units isn't easy. The children are clearly sick, usually in their rooms, dealing with issues of isolation, some are bored, some maybe sad, depressed, angry, and frustrated. Others maybe craving attention. Any thing is possible because just like any of us, we have our good days and bad days when sick. Yet long term exposure to hospital living..... without having adequate sleep, privacy, and feeling safe and secure about one's future, can wreck havoc on one's mental state. Therefore, from my perspective it is wonderful that the Charity through Medicine Club's primary focus is to work with in-patient children! Typically most high school groups want to work with outpatient children. These children LOOK healthier, they are more energetic, they are wearing everyday clothes, are more likely to be running around and fully engaged in whatever activity you bring in. I believe that working with in-patient children may require greater effort on the part of the volunteer to make a connection, but I know the rewards are deeply meaningful. When volunteers came onto the floor when Mattie was battling cancer and provided us with outside stimulation and engaged him, we were all thrilled. It was a gift I will never forget, and I have a feeling this is how many families felt after today's visit by this energetic and happy teen group. I have other photos but I am awaiting Hospital approval before uploading them to the blog since they capture patients from the Hospital.