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

April 6, 2017

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2006, during Mattie's fourth birthday party. This party was held at the Riverbend Nature Center in Great Falls, VA. Mattie loved nature and it seemed like the perfect spot to host a party with some of his preschool buddies. That year the theme of the party was dinosaurs. A park ranger did a live animal presentation for the children, took them on a nature walk, and then the children got to excavate plastic dinosaurs out of a very large sandbox. 





Quote of the day: Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero to me. ~ Fred Rogers



It was a rough afternoon and night for Peter yesterday. Something from lunch caused him to get food poisoning. Truly horrific when you consider we chose a fine restaurant, which had equally fine prices to match. Needless to say I think Peter is sworn off of lobster for good. Given Peter's fever and that he had all the classic symptoms of food poisoning last night, he is weak today and tired. Not to mention that his throat is very sore and his ribs are aching from vomiting. 


Peter wanted to get out of our hotel room and take a short walk. So we went to Daggerwing Nature Center in Boca Raton. My joke with Peter is that I need to do a guide book for nature lovers because some nature centers and trails are NOT worth visiting. I would list Daggerwing as another one on my "do not go to" list. However, given how Peter was feeling this easy and short walk was perfect for us today. 

As you enter the boardwalk of the nature trail you see this. I would say this is the best sight on the entire journey. Not a good thing to start off on the highest note. 
Within that water area above we saw this big anhinga sitting in a tree squawking. 
We also saw many large turtles!
Not to mention this lovely Great Blue Heron just sitting there waiting to catch a fish. 
 As we walked along the trail, we came upon an observation tower. As we were walking up the tower stairs, we found three vultures (turkey buzzard) just hanging out looking for carrion from this high up perch. 
A view from the tower. You can see the thick green vegetation we saw throughout the boardwalk. Which is definitely wonderful and it gives you a feeling for the various trees that can grow in swampy water. But with that said, the boardwalk really didn't provide an opportunity for birding or viewing other wildlife in the area. 
Another view from atop of the observation tower. 
After walking we went for lunch at the Chart House. This is a restaurant we frequent with my parents and took Mattie to many times. It has an incredible view of the intercoastal. Which is so nice to see while having lunch. 
My favorite thing to eat at the Chart House.... coconut covered shrimp. Needless to say, Peter ate NO fish or shellfish today!

A Mattie Fact... Mattie LOVED shrimp, so much that I called him "shrimp boy." While undergoing chemotherapy, he was introduced to shrimp at a friend's birthday party. Mattie loved it from that point on. He could devour multiple shrimp and given he was so sick, it was thrilling to see him eat anything. 

1 comment:

Margy Jost said...

Vicki, I am sorry, it was food poisoning & the fact Peter was sick at all. I truly believe with shellfish, how it is prepared determines often, if it can cause food poisoning. I love coconut shrimp - good choice. I am glad to know you were out of the hotel today and that while Peter still felt week, it was good to have a short excursion.

I am a huge Mr. Rogers fan. I know the world would be a kinder place if there were more people like Mr. Rogers and more of his neighborhoods.

Mattie's birthday party's must have been so much fun ! Your descriptions sound fun & educational. I like both. Of course, I loved the picture