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

October 21, 2017

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Saturday, October 21, 2017

Tonight's picture was taken in October of 2003. Mattie was a year and a half old here. I am not sure he understood the concept of Halloween any better in 2003, than he did the previous year, but in 2003, Mattie got dressed up the occasion. Mattie did not like the whole notion of a costume. He hated things that were itchy against his skin, were heavy to wear, and the list went on. So together while shopping at Target, we found this adorable pumpkin sweatsuit. Mattie loved the texture of this material and was a happy camper wearing it! An adorable pumpkin, no?!


Quote of the day: A dog will teach you unconditional love. If you can have that in your life, things won’t be too bad. Robert Wagner 


It was a beautiful Fall day in Washington, DC. In the 70's, with glorious sun. We took Sunny to the National Mall, which is one of his favorite places to walk. He primarily loves going there because it is filled with trees and the trees are filled with squirrels. I am convinced that one of Sunny's former owners encouraged him to hunt, chase, and probably catch squirrels, mice, rats, and bunnies. Or perhaps Sunny chased these things because they were his food source. I am not sure which, but it is clear Sunny loves anything that moves. This photo says it all. I called Sunny's name while he was in pursuit of a squirrel. Like Mattie, he complied and I snapped a photo, but he was very eager to return to his activity. Which was exactly the same reaction Mattie gave me whenever I wanted to capture the moment with my camera. 

Though I can manage Sunny, I prefer Peter holding him when we go to the Mall. Only because it is one constant squirrel chase after the other. Sunny is a force when he runs and torques his body quickly to chase those squirrels. 
They are in hot pursuit! Sunny must have chased after at least 20 squirrels today. Some people laugh when seeing this, others encourage Sunny to catch the squirrel, and then there are others who are shocked. Wondering if we are really going to allow Sunny to attack a squirrel! I am NOT a squirrel fan, but that said.... NO we do not let Sunny capture the squirrels. He only chases them. Which is why you need a lot of strength to hold him back. 

Once Sunny chases a squirrel, it usually lands up climbing a tree. Which is frustrating for Sunny, because he really would love for us to let go of his leash so he can finish his herding task! Nonetheless, this photo is typical! It captures the resulting scene of Sunny chasing a squirrel up a tree. He stares at it in the tree, basically saying..... 'don't come down, because you won't be so lucky a second time!'

1 comment:

Margy Jost said...

The picture, you posted of Mattie tonight is a personal favorite of mine. Everything about the photo scream beautiful. Mattie was a beautiful child.

I think about unconditional love a lot actually. The love, one gives freely no matter what else comes with the relationship. It is easy to give it to a pet because they are loveable . A true love is unconditional even if it sometimes hurts you, isn't returned, or you would give your own life, if possible, to change the course of another!
I found the movie MALIFICENT to demonstrate unconditional love at its finest.
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