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

December 2, 2016

Friday, December 2, 2016

Friday, December 2, 2016

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2007. That day, I visited Mattie's kindergarten class and read them the story of the "Gingerbread Baby." This was a story Mattie's preschool teacher and my friend, Margaret gave to me. She liked the story because it was written by one of her favorite children's authors, but also because the story featured a main character named "Matti!" In any case, that day I read the children the story and then after the story, I brought in homemade gingerbread cookies..... as I always believed in hands on activities! The cookies were huge and could be easily decorated. I made the royal icing from scratch and brought in all the candies. The children absolutely loved it. The actual cookies looked like the gingerbread baby in the book! It was a day I won't ever forget. 


Quote of the day: A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men. ~ From Willy Wonka the movie (1971)


In recognition of the fact that 10,000 pounds of candy is officially delivered, I feel this cute video sums it all up perfectly. It is from one of my favorite movies.... Willy Wonka. I could get a new nickname... the candy lady! Enjoy!!!

The Candy Man:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPIl0IJjBrw


I drove to Mattie's school this morning and met up with the Dean of Students, Mattie's kindergarden teacher, and five student volunteers who help me deliver the remaining 4,000 pounds of candy!

This was our first stop.... MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. The candy provides a year's supply for our snack/item cart. 
Our second stop was at Covenant House. Because we collect SO MUCH candy, I am able to donate some to two homeless shelters. One is in Reston, VA and the other is in DC. This shelter is for homeless children. This is my third year working with Covenant House and the children absolutely love these treats especially around the holidays.

The student volunteers from Mattie's school were delightful..... hard workers and patient! They also listened to me as I told them a little bit about Mattie Miracle and why we host a candy drive. I wanted to give them context, so I explained that Mattie was a kindergartner at their school in 2008. After completing kindergarten Mattie developed cancer. The school became an important part of our care community. A community which delivered us lunch and dinner everyday for 14 months. In addition, to that, they also gave us gifts and chocolate treats, practically daily. I realized we were lucky on that front because most of the other families in the hospital did not have such incredible support. In any case, once Mattie died, we decided to continue the candy tradition on a larger scale, with the snack cart and candy drives! 

Since I was going to be out all day, Peter took Sunny to work. Believe it or not, Sunny is requested to come in. On days that he doesn't come in, people miss him. That should tell you about Sunny! Sunny has attached himself to Mark, at Peter's office. Apparently Sunny reminds Mark of his late dog. 
In between work and meetings, people play with Sunny! Peter tells me that his colleagues consider Sunny therapeutic to have in the office! 

1 comment:

Margy Jost said...

Vicki, THE CANDY LADY, I like that!!! I too, like Willy Wonka and all the lessons this movie taught!!!

My grandpa Kiesl was a candy man in the 1930's. He drove a truck filled with Candy from a company whose name is escaping me now. I never met him as he died in 1942 when my Dad was 15. But stories of his job as a candy man were special because my Dad told them in an effort for us to know his Dad

As always pictures of Mattie pull at my heart. Seeing pictures of him well, then pictures of him in treatment are heart wrenching