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

March 26, 2018

Monday, March 26, 2018

Monday, March 26, 2018

Tonight's picture was taken in March of 2009. This was classic Mattie! Our hospital room was filled with all sorts of activities to do. In many ways, this was NO different from when Mattie was well. He was the ultimate multi-tasker. Sometimes when people multi-task, they aren't paying attention to what is being verbally communicated. In Mattie's case, he could look engrossed in an activity and not paying attention. But he heard EVERYTHING! As you can see from the photo, Mattie loved to construct things out of every day objects. This was Mattie's submarine comprised of boxes, yogurt containers, and a paper towel roll. The possibilities were as great as Mattie's imagination. 


Quote of the day: When you are here and now, sitting totally, not jumping ahead, the miracle has happened. To be in the moment is the miracle. ~ Osho


Being present focused is NOT something most of us are accustomed to, instead, we are future focused. We are constantly planning, thinking about the future, or have the mindset of passing on opportunities because it can always be done later. I have found that the number one thing to kick start someone into PRESENT gear and keep them there is a life threatening illness. Whether living with one or having the potential scare of having one! 

I have spoken to several people lately who are dealing with serious health crises. Ironically none of them are saying.... I should have worked harder! Instead, most of them are saying...... why did I push off seeing a friend/family member or going on a vacation with the thinking that I could do this in the future? When cancer strikes your life, you realize that future isn't guaranteed and when we reflect upon our lives we can be faced with regrets. 

There are many reasons why one becomes present oriented when dealing with cancer. The top reason could be fear! It is hard not letting one's mind wander and worry about dying. Which with cancer is a very realistic fear. Therefore staying in the moment is actually much more helpful psychologically. The other main reason for becoming present focused has to do with the treatment itself. Things can change from day to day. Which makes planning anything when undergoing treatment impossible. I saw this with Mattie's cancer protocol. In theory he should have had one week when he was on treatment and two weeks off. But we NEVER got the two weeks off, because the treatment had such devastating side effects, it usually left Mattie hospitalized. So there was NO point in making plans, it forced me to live hour to hour, some days minute by minute! 

I am not alone though. This is a common thread others are faced with when coping with cancer. I am not sure why the rest of the world can't get on board with living in the present moment? I wish I could say that I still live there! Part of me does and part of me can't because of the Foundation. But when I was living in the present moment, it was actually less stressful. It allowed me to NOT focus on anything else other than Mattie and our time together. I did not worry about chores, about food, about work, and the list goes on. I am quite aware of the fact that I did not have to worry about these things, because others around me helped with these logistics. 


In light of living in the present moment, I stopped at Mattie's memorial garden today, right in our commons area. Things are blooming and that made me pause. Our hyacinth. 
The daffodils in Mattie's garden!
I don't know how they are making it in the cold, but they seem happy and they are strong and sturdy like Mattie. 

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