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

July 1, 2016

Friday, July 1, 2016

Friday, July 1, 2016


Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2004. We took Mattie to the National Arboretum. Outside the visitor's center is this lovely pond, which features koi. They sell fish food and of course we got some so Mattie could experience seeing these huge fish up close and personal. I don't know if you can see this fish looking at us with his mouth WIDE open. But clearly Mattie was intrigued and wasn't sure whether to get closer or to back away. 






Quote of the day: A meow massages the heart.  ~ Stuart McMillan


I am working with City Dogs in DC to also adopt a cat. Their cat division is called.... what else? City Kitty! The volunteers at City Dogs Rescue are super nice, very professional and very responsive. I can't say that for every rescue organization I have contacted since February. Several lost my application, never contacted me back and the list goes on. 

Peter and I are interested in three of the MANY cats they are trying to adopt. The way City Dogs/City Kitty works is that the animals are NOT housed in cages waiting to be adopted. Instead both dogs and cats are rescued from kill shelters and placed in local foster homes. These are people who either own pets or are pet-less. They agree to foster these rescues until they are finally adopted in a forever home. What I love about this concept is you are not seeing animals caged and further traumatized. So we are driving to Maryland to the foster home of Hazel the Cat on Sunday. Her foster mom sounds delightful and we will have the opportunity to learn more about Hazel and interact with her.

This afternoon, I went of a five mile walk. It was super humid, sticky, and hot out. But I did it anyway. You can see that I saw several beautiful things along the way!









Rows of vincas!




















Lovely yellows! I am a big black eyed Susan fan! This is the time of year when they start to pop!


















The boats are out and celebrations are starting early for the July 4th weekend on the Potomac. 












The Key Bridge! I crossed this bridge twice today. Once going into Arlington, VA and then back over to get into DC. 











Georgetown Canal, which I have to pass on the way to the Key Bridge. 
This sight makes me laugh! These three people are paddle boarding! Literally it looks like they are standing on a surf board. They have a paddle in their hands and use it to propel themselves through the water. They make it look easy, but I am sure it is a balancing act. 

1 comment:

Margy Jost said...

Vicki,
I love reading about your walks, which often amaze me. The amazement comes from the fact, I have seen all these things from a car and you walk it. I love the pictures. You capture the pure beauty of so many things in Nature, Inam starting to look at things differently. I love that you are going for a cat and a dog to give them a forever home. They will be loved because you have a lot of love to give!!!! What will you name the Kitty! I saved my comment about the puncture of Mattie for last because each picture you post gives me another look into life with Mattie. Each picture is beautiful and they all touch my heart. Margy