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 29, 2015

Friday, May 29, 2015

Friday, May 29, 2015

Tonight's picture was taken in September of 2002. Mattie was five months old and eating up a storm. He was getting the hang of the notion of using a spoon, but Mattie had a mind of his own. He did not like his high chair and preferred eating in his car seat. That car seat served many purposes! It wasn't only used in the car! Of course there came a point that Mattie no longer fit in the seat and therefore had to transition to a high chair. That too was an adjustment which took time and coaxing.... first sitting in the chair for short periods of time with toys, without being latched in or having the tray table in front of him, to eventually learning to get used to sitting with the table latched into the seat so he could eat. 


Quote of the day: Time decides who you meet in life, your heart decides who you want in your life, and your behavior decides who stays in your life. ~ Ziad Abdelnour


Tonight's Foundation Walk photos feature the Zumba session at the Walk. This is the fourth year we have had Zumba, and the session is conducted by Jenny Cavanaugh. Jenny is my zumba instructor and I met Jenny when Mattie was in kindergarten. Mattie and Jenny's daughter were in the same kindergarten classroom. However, it wasn't until years after Mattie died that I started to take zumba classes with Jenny. 

Jenny kindly offers her skills and talents for free at the Walk and gets many of us moving and jumping around. It turns out, I hear, that people in attendance like watching those of us who participate. There is something about zumba that provides community fun and spirit to the event! 


This year it was like exercising in a sauna. The humidity and the temperature on the AstroTurf were a killer. Yet you can see some of us bravely did it anyway! 








From left to right are Nicole (Tricia's daughter), Tricia (Mattie's favorite HEM/ONC nurse), Ilona (Co-Founder of the Chris Lantos Foundation), my mom, and Heidi (a Mattie Miracle Supporter).







The trio -- my mom, Ilona, and Heidi



















I do not know who this it, but I call him our "zumba fellow!" He was the brave guy who got out there and danced with us and did a great job!!! 
















I love this photo..... the smile and the happiness of moving to music! This is one of our volunteer's doing zumba! 


















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