Proud of my work -- 16 Years of Service

Thank you for keeping Mattie's memory alive!

Dear Mattie Blog Readers,

It means a great deal to me that you take the time to write and to share your thoughts, feelings, and reflections on Mattie's battle and death. Your messages are very meaningful and help support me through very challenging times. I am 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 have stopped writing on September 9, 2010. However, like my journey with grief there is so much that 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 me, and most importantly thank you for keeping Mattie's memory alive.


As Mattie would say, Ooga Booga (meaning, I LOVE YOU)! Vicki



A Remembrance Video of Mattie

September 11, 2015

Friday, September 11, 2015

Friday, September 11, 2015

 Tonight's picture was taken on October 2, 2008. We took Mattie to New York City, to be seen by a doctor at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Along our journey, we tried to do some fun and memorable activities with Mattie. Such as going to FAO Schwarz! The funny part is I had never been to this store's location before, but like so many things.... Mattie exposed me to so many new experiences! 
Quote of the day: I may never be normal again. But this is my life now. I have to live it. ~ Manu Dhingra, 27, a securities broker who suffered burns over a third of his body but was released from the hospital October 2, 2001
Today marks the 14th anniversary of September 11. Some how this doesn't surprise me given my experiences with losing Mattie, but I have to say it was hard to find media coverage of the 9/11 ceremonies. The media seems to be intrigued with mile marker anniversaries.... 5, 10, 15, etc. Fourteen, I guess wasn't a meaningful number to them. Which of course is problematic, because as you will hear in the videos of the family members of victims...... THEY NEVER FORGET and it is painful to visit these memorial sites.  
I found three videos for the blog tonight to honor and remember the tragedies in New York, Washington, DC and Shanksville, PA, in which over 3,000 American lives were taken that day. But I have to tell you it took me over an hour to find them! They did not just pop up with a Google search. Yet as I know from experiencing a traumatic loss, family members need support and they need to have outlets to remember. Also they need to know that the rest of us haven't forgotten them or their loved one who perished that horrible day. Grief is always about remembering and I hope if you are reading this blog tonight, you reflect on some of these facts:


  • More than 2,700 people were killed at the Trade Towers
  • 184 people were killed at the Pentagon
  • 40 people were killed in a field in Shanksville, PA. Heros who diverted a plane targeted for the US Capitol!
  • 21 first responders at Ground Zero (NY) died from working for days and months at World Trade Site (died from cancer and other diseases)
  • There are 15,000 people registered in the World Trade Center Health Program, of whom over 1000 of them have cases of cancer
September 11, 2015 Videos:











New York: http://abc7news.com/news/families-of-sept-11-victims-mark-14th-anniversary/979730/

 Washington, DC: http://www.fox5dc.com/news/18869342-story

 Shanksville, PA: http://www.wtae.com/news/observance-to-be-held-today-at-the-flight-93-memorial/35216762
Posted by The Brown Family (DC) at 7:40 PM

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