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 30, 2019

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Tuesday, July 30, 2019 -- Mattie died 514 weeks ago today.

Tonight's photo is a continuation of last night's blog posting. It was taken on August 30, 2008. Mattie's cousins were visiting from Boston. We were fortunate to be able to leave the Hospital unit because of our wonderful nurse, Miki. Miki set a timer on her watch, and periodically came down three floors and came outside to check on Mattie. Amazing no?! She understood the health benefits of having positive social connections and diversions. Will always be grateful to Mattie's nurses, who really know that childhood cancer is NOT just about the medicine! 


Quote of the day: I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars. ~ Og Mandino


I had heard about the traveling exhibit dedicated to Downton Abbey. Today we got to see it. Clearly the exhibit is based on the beloved television show, which transports you to post-Edwardian England, where the characters and the iconic house come to life. Visitors are immersed in the fascinating social history, culture, and some of the most memorable moments from the show’s six-season run.

Here is a short video clip on the exhibit. If you are a Downton Abbey fan, it is worth a visit. Today, I felt like I was surrounded by people of all ages who were affectionatos. I can't think of a TV show that united more people recently like Downton. 

A video clip: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crTBMc6PWB0











I am not sure why I am so surprised by this, but there were many props on display at the exhibit. Such as letters! I knew characters in the show were writing or reading letters, but it never dawned on me that the letters would look SO SO real, including a stamp! 

This letter started the exhibit. Just like it started the very first episode of the show. The letter conveys to the family that the heir to the estate died on the Titanic. 

With the exhibit were wonderful photos, props, and even live videos, in which the characters were interacting with visitors. 
Just like with the actual show, history from that actual time period was integrated into this exhibit. 

This placard said, "A lady's maid was an upper servant, one who worked both in the family's and the servants' quarters. They were usually skilled seamstresses, could occasionally speak conversational French, knew how to do complicated fashionable hairstyles and were, on the whole, ambitious. To be a lady's maid meant traveling with your mistress, seeing different houses, if not different countries, which gave you a greater scope of experience than the other servants. But the hours were long - from first thing in the morning to last at night - and while a mistress might confide in her lady's maid, it was rarely a two way street."

Each of the characters from the show was highlighted, along with a prop significant to the person. This was Mrs. Hughes, housekeeper of Downton.
Lady Mary. The oldest daughter of Lord Grantham. 
Lady Edith, the second daughter of Lord Grantham.


Loved the model of Mrs. Patmore's kitchen. The exhibit had an interactive game in which you were asked interview questions. You were given three options to each question and had to respond. After all your responses, the computer would then tell you what position in the house you would be hired for. I apparently would be hired as the "cook." 
The servant bells!
A model of the dining room set. 
Jewelry created for the characters. They were stunning. 
Head gear! I learned that a woman could not wear a tiara at dinner, unless she was married! In fact, the exhibit did a good job at highlighting traditions and etiquette. 
Lots of beautiful costumes were on display. Many of the dresses belonged to Lady Mary and Lady Edith. We also learned that these women (or women like them) may have changed outfits at least 8 times in one day! An outfit for every activity. 




In the afternoon, we visited Peter's elementary school. Which also happened to be the school Barbara (Peter's mom) taught at for 40 years. One of Barbara's students dedicated a classroom in her honor. So I snapped a photo of Peter with Barbara, in her classroom. 






This evening we went to Chris (Peter's brother) and Lisa home for dinner. Lisa baked me a special chocolate/lemon curd cake for my birthday! So the celebrations continue. The cake was extraordinary, without being heavy. It was a labor of love, but truly appreciated. 

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