Mattie's Blog and his Fight Against Osteosarcoma

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

May 27, 2016

Friday, May 27, 2016

Friday, May 27, 2016

Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2002. Mattie was two months old and what I think was so funny was that Mattie looked more like Peter as a baby. However, as Mattie became a toddler, and certainly by his preschool years, Mattie looked much more like me. I am not sure how such a progression happened.... but it did!

Quote of the day: I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched. ~ Edgar Allan Poe

We want to congratulate our top individual and team fundraisers!!! We would never have exceeded our goal and raised over $85,000 to support the psychosocial needs of children with cancer and their families without you!!!

Top Adult Fundraiser (2 years in a row): Peggy Elkind (raised $4,022)
Top High School Student Fundraiser (2 years in a row): Haley Leis (raised $3,350)
Top Middle School Student Fundraiser (2 years in a row): Charlotte Gehrs (raised $3,340)
Top Team Fundraising Award: RCC Moms Rock (raised $7,432)
Team with the most participants by May 10th: Team Voxiva (also a Platinum Corporate Sponsor of the Walk)
Cup Challenge Team Award: Team SAINTS

This is Peggy (left) and Ann (right). Together they raised over $7,000 for Mattie Miracle. Peggy has been our top fundraiser two years in a row and we appreciate her commitment to the Foundation.

We love this photo because it seems to capture the spirit and energy they both have for our psychosocial mission!

This is Haley Leis, a junior at Bishop Ireton High School. This is the second year in a row that Haley has been our top high school fundraiser! We are very proud of Haley and are so happy she is part of our Walk family.

The 8th grader in aqua blue with a Hawaiian lei around her neck is Charlotte Gehrs. Charlotte was a very close friend of Mattie's. In fact Mattie would tell us often that he was going to marry Charlotte. At age 5 no less!

Charlotte has been our top middle school student fundraiser two years in a row! We are very proud of Charlotte for the funds she raises and the awareness she brings to childhood cancer in her friend's memory.

Team SAINTS had an amazing turn out of support at the Walk. On the day of the event, there were over 40 participants on the team! Many of whom were Lacrosse players at the St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School!

This team walked OVER 60 miles and was the first to complete the cup challenge. Thank you for filling the cup walk and helping us get the funding for a second Mattie Miracle snack/item cart!

Our top team fundraiser award went to RCC Moms Rock!! Mattie went to Resurrection Children's Center (RCC), for preschool, and after all these years we are still connected with the school and its families! Congratulations RCC.

This is Justin and his two sons. Justin is the CEO of Voxiva. Voxiva has been a platinum corporate sponsor of our Walk (two years in a row) and his company also has a Walk team at our events.