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

May 8, 2021

Saturday, May 8, 2021

Saturday, May 8, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2004. Mattie was two years old and by that point he LOVED his firetruck. Mattie loved anything with wheels, right from an early age. Now don't think Mattie liked riding on this thing! Because he didn't! However, he enjoyed incorporating the firetruck into his play schemes and he absolutely LOVED washing it on our deck! 






Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.

  • Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 32,683,327
  • Number of people who died from the virus: 581,501


Our morning started early today! By 9am we were on the road and beginning to house search again. The first house we saw was in Oakton. One of our targeted cities! I have been tracking this particular house for a while, and was waiting for it to go active today! You know when you see a house from photos and it intrigues you. Well that is how I felt about this house, but I have learned since February that photos are deceptive. However, when approaching this house by care, I felt it had wonderful curb appeal. The inside also doesn't disappoint. Does it have the exact layout that will work for my dad? Not 100%, but we can definitely work with it and the backyard reminds me of my parent's house in California (when I was in high school). 

After seeing more houses today, we realized we had to immediately put in an offer on this Oakton house. In this real estate market you have to move quickly and you also have to offer way over the asking price. Because otherwise, you won't get a house! We learned this with the first two house offers we have made. The hope is three is a charm! We literally ran back home and started working on paperwork and I wrote a personal letter to the owner/seller.

Then because we have nothing else going on, we received our second Pfizer shot this afternoon! My hope is we have no reaction, or a very mild one if any!


Today's update..... the thermometer reads, $102,293!
There are 183 people registered to Walk and we have 17 Walk teams!



May 7, 2021

Friday, May 7, 2021

Friday, May 7, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2003. That day I took Mattie to the Reston Zoo. He was about a year old. This photo is priceless because I had my eyes on Mattie and the goat standing up on his hind legs at the same time. While Mattie was clearly tracking a goat closer to his eye level. It was the perfect Zoo, small and hands on. Never any crowds and right up Mattie's alley, as he loved nature and animals. 





Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.

  • Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 32,640,373
  • Number of people who died from the virus:580,776


It is Friday, and I am truly exhausted. I can't keep up the pace that I am at because running around looking at houses, commuting all over the place, and managing the admin for the Foundation Walk is a very bad combination for me. After conference calls this morning, I went back out to see three more houses. In one house the owner put up a tennis court in the backyard. Therefore the backyard wasn't green but all court! The pictures on line of the house were disingenuous because they did not feature the court. FOR GOOD REASON, BUT! I can officially say I hate house hunting. Or perhaps I hate it because of the climate under which I am buying the house..... meaning if the house is good, you have to move quickly, otherwise by an hour later it could be sold. The strategy my realtor had today was to see houses that have sat on the market for 60+ days! That certainly cuts down on the buyer competition, but there is a reason a house sits for days. 

For example I saw a house yesterday that I went back to in the evening with Peter. We were seriously considering this house, but then Peter looked at the survey plot of the land and noticed a gas pipeline through the backyard! NOW I know why the house has been sitting on the market! It had to be something, because inside the house is beautiful and pristine. Back at it again tomorrow!

Today's Walk thermometer...

$101,113!



May 6, 2021

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2002. Mattie was a month old and frankly even at that age he was very alert and just ON! I also think that as an infant, Mattie looked much more like Peter. Only when Mattie became a toddler, did things change, and at that point he looked exactly like me. 



Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.

  • Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 32,603,569
  • Number of people who died from the virus: 580,054


Today was another LONG day! I met our realtor at 10:30am and I was running around with her until 3pm. At which point, then I drove to Mattie Miracle's mailbox in Arlington and got mail, did a couple of more chores, and then ran home to pick up Peter. At which point we continued house hunting at 4:30pm. I literally got home at 7pm. After a very full day, with no end in sight, I go back out tomorrow and Saturday with our realtor! Any one who tells me house hunting is fun is going to get a dissertation from me! 

I can tell you ALL the houses for sale in Great Falls and Oakton. With each house I look at, I am getting better at determining if it will meet our needs, as I am truly honing in on what will work for us and my parents. But this is physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. 

On the Walk front, I am happy to report that we have 49 states participating in our Walk! Mississippi we need you! If you know anyone in Mississippi, please encourage them to walk with us, donate, or purchase raffle tickets. 

https://2021.mmcfwalk.com/walk

This has NEVER happened to us in 12 years of hosting the Mattie Miracle Walk! As of today, 9 days before the Walk, we have already met goal! Usually we meet goal the day before the event. I am very thankful to see today's thermometer, because given the pandemic and having a virtual Walk two years in a row, I wasn't sure we could keep this fundraising model up and be successful! Our supporters have clearly spoken.

May 5, 2021

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken on May 5, 2002. About a month after Mattie was born. That day, his cousins were visiting from Massachusetts. We all met up in Shirlington, VA to have ice cream outside. While there, the family bought Mattie this cute beanie bunny in the toy store. I loved Mattie's facial expression as he was trying to focus in on the bunny. 

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.

  • Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 32,552,408
  • Number of people who died from the virus: 579,225


Many of our Walk committee members are working on getting people to sign up for our event all over the country! Today I put out a request on Facebook, and we got three more states to sign on. We are three states away from having all 50 states represented. Truly a great achievement. 

Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.... we need you!



Our Walk thermometer rose today to $97,778! A wonderful sight to see! 

It was another day of house hunting, between Walk work! I saw four more. I honestly can tell you every house on the market in Northern Virginia. The four I saw today were not great at all. So we go back at it tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday! House hunting has become like a part time job for me. I find it exhausting and this is even before I have to pack and move things for myself and then for my parents. 

May 4, 2021

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Tuesday, May 4, 2021 -- Mattie died 605 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2004. That weekend we walked down to the National Mall and Mattie and I were standing by the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. He was checking out the ducks. At this time of year, it is a common occurrence to see ducks and their ducklings. A sighting Mattie absolutely loved! Now Sunny and I walk the Mall on a daily basis, and whenever we pass the ducks and their little ones, I think of Mattie!





Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins

  • Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 32,507,113
  • Number of people who died from the virus: 578,319

I have to admit that this time of year, when we fundraise, is very stressful both on me as a person and as a Foundation leader. Last year and this year, the Walk has been virtual! I honestly do not know how I managed all that I am doing now, plus the actual logistics of having a live event. It truly is a lot to juggle. To give you some idea of what I am talking about, we received over 270 actual donations for the Walk so far. Each one of these needs to be processed and it is a big admin lift. Of course I make it much harder on myself, because I insist on emailing each donor individually and thanking them. Nonetheless, I believe this is important to do as our donors are the life blood of our organization! 


Here is today's update! We have 44 States participating in our event! 

Still need.....

Nebraska
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Mississippi
Kentucky and
Maine
We had a very productive fundraising day and our event thermometer now reads
$94,058. 

If I am not looking for a house, then for me it is all Walk, all the time! 



May 3, 2021

Monday, May 3, 2021

Monday, May 3, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2004. Mattie was two years old and Peter snapped this photo of Mattie and me together. Mattie loved touching cheek to cheek or nose to nose! A classic Mattie moment caught on camera. 




Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.

  • Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 32,463,649
  • Number of people who died from the virus: 577,464

Peter drove to Richmond at 6am today! He will be there for the next couple of days. Peter started a new job in November, yet never met his colleagues or boss face to face. Today was a first! I am so happy Peter got to interact live with people, as it is a different and better experience than a Zoom call. Peter described the meeting as first awkward. Not because of personality dynamics, but due to COVID. People were unsure how to interact, where to sit, etc!

For Peter this was the first time he really was in a group situation inside. Unlike myself! I have been interacting with people, hospitals, caregivers, airports, and airplanes all throughout COVID. That has its pluses and minuses, but since I skew anxious, this was actually helpful for me, because it forced me early on out of my comfort zone. Therefore, interacting safely became my norm. 

Our photo campaign is kicking off to a good start! I received a photo today of Mattie's buddy, Ellie, at Marin Headlands! 

Mattie Miracle's sunshine is shining over San Francisco. 

This is a photo of Kitty (my friend Margy's sister) at Disney World. Here's the story behind the visit to Florida! Kitty won Disney tickets from Mattie Miracle's raffle last year. So she took her husband, son, and grandson to Disney this week!
A photo of Dokken at the Prudential Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Dokken graduated from Mattie's school. 

As of today we have 42 states represented at our virtual walk. 
Today's thermometer reads $85,108! With 13 days until the Walk. 




May 2, 2021

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2005. Mattie was three years old and received a WHOLE coconut in the mail from Peter's parents. They sent it to Mattie from Florida. That day, Peter and Mattie worked on our deck to open its very hard shell. It was quite a process, and a lot to be learned. So much so, that we took the show on the road to Mattie's preschool and kindergarten class. 


Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins

  • Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 32,415,345
  • Number of people who died from the virus: 577,007


So as a follow up to last night.... we did put an offer on a house at 11pm on Saturday. Our realtor called us today to let us know that the seller's realtor is vacationing in the MOUNTAINS and has spotty reception. Therefore, we may not hear back on a decision today! Who actually does this? If you are going to the mountains, wouldn't you ask a colleague to help you out so that you can have coverage for your clients? I know... stop being so logical! So we wait!

It is hard to believe by in two weeks, Mattie Miracle will be hosting its 12th annual walk. We are looking for people in the 13 states below to register, donate, or purchase raffle tickets. If you know anyone in any of these states, I would love it if you could pass along our event link! As our goal is to get to participation in all 50 states. 


13 states we are missing:

  • Arkansas 
  • Kansas 
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Mississippi  
  • Nebraska 
  • Nevada 
  • North Dakota 
  • Oklahoma 
  • South Dakota 
  • Tennessee 
  • Wyoming 

 

As of today, our Walk thermometer reads
$81,598!

We have:
  • 17 teams
  • 150 people registered
  • participation in 37 states
  • $1,355 worth of raffle tickets sold