Monday, May 11, 2020

Monday, May 11, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken on Mother's Day in May of 2005. That day we took Mattie to the Aquatic Gardens in DC. Another favorite spot of ours. It is a park off the beaten track, but once you walk through the gates, it is a magical place. Filled with water lilies, lotuses, and countless birds. Peter took a photo of us together, and you may notice I had to hold Mattie still, because he was my boy in constant motion. He had two modes... on and off. 


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

• number of people diagnosed with the virus: 1,347,388
• number of people who died from the virus: 80,397

Here are the latest Mattie Miracle Virtual Walk Facts:

1. 250 people registered
2. 47 states represented (missing Nebraska, North Dakota, and Alaska)
3. raised $81,305 so far
4. 319 individual donations
5. 30 Walk Sponsors
6. 16 Walk teams

An added dimension to the complexity of planning for the walk this year is the technology we need to use to do live greetings on social media. We have tried different platforms and each of them has problems. My favorite problem was that you while we were talking we could see our lips moving, but the sound came out seconds later. A total mismatch. It was funny to watch, but not the look we were hoping for. So we decided to use Facebook Live to do a greeting on Sunday and to also use it to announce our raffle winners in real time.  

Meanwhile, my morning started by going to the hospital to have my yearly mammogram. Virginia has opened its hospitals to non-emergent matters. I don't like missing a mammogram, especially after many moms (whose children had osteosarcoma) told me there is a high correlation between children with bone cancer and moms developing breast cancer. So virus or no virus, I was going today. When I tell you the hospital was a ghost town, I am not kidding. I think I see more people at the grocery store than I saw today at the hospital. I literally saw 5 people in total! As soon as I entered the hospital, the entrance was controlled with roped off lanes and greeters. Basically you aren't getting in until you get your temperature checked and they know where you are going and why. I came in with a mask, but they gave me a second one to put on top of my mask. I frankly could hardly breath and the hospital mask kept migrating into my eyes. I am not in love with masks and frankly I am not sure they do what they are purported to do. All I know is when you wear a mask you land up touching your face far more often than with no mask, and face touching is a number one way to spread germs. Needless to say, I was at the hospital a total of thirty minutes, because with few patients needing service, things moved quickly. 

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Sunday, May 10, 2020


Tonight's picture was taken on Mother's Day of 2007. Mattie was five years old and we went out for Mother's Day brunch at one of Mattie's favorite restaurants. Peter snapped this photo of us and Mattie decided to illustrate his love for me by crossing his arms. To me it will always be a priceless photo. 











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

• number of people who were diagnosed with the virus: 1,329,225
• number of people who died from the virus: 79,525

Peter made me a Mother's Day card that highlighted many of the wonderful photos
I had with Mattie on this special day. This was Mother's Day 2007. 

This was Mother's Day 2006.

Peter captured Mattie's name for me, Una Moona!

My mother in law surprised me with a dozen roses. They certainly brighten up our home, especially in lock down. Normally, we have our deck garden planted by this time, but until things open up, our flower boxes will lay dormant. 

We walked around the National Mall today and came across this sighting by the reflecting pool alongside the Lincoln Memorial. A mother duck and her two ducklings. A sight Mattie always appreciated and now every time I see such a pairing, I remember Mattie saying..... 'they look just like us.'





On this Mother's day, I share a poem that my friend, Denise, gave me years ago. It is a column written by Erma Bombeck that has touched my heart each Mother's Day and most likely the hearts of many bereaved moms. As she says..... I can think of no mothers who deserve it more (appreciation and respect) than those who had to give a child back.

-------------------------------------

Mothers Who Have Lost a Child - May 14, 1995 by Erma Bombeck

If you're looking for an answer this Mother's day on why God reclaimed your child, I don't know. I only know that thousands of mothers out there today desperately need an answer as to why they were permitted to go through the elation of carrying a child and then lose it to miscarriage, accident, violence, disease or drugs.

Motherhood isn't just a series of contractions, it's a state of mind. From the moment we know life is inside us, we feel a responsibility to protect and defend that human being. It's a promise we can't keep. We beat ourselves to death over that pledge. "If I hadn't worked through the eighth month." "If I had taken him to the doctor when he had a fever." "If I hadn't let him use the car that night." "If I hadn't been so naive. I'd have noticed he was on drugs."

The longer I live, the more convinced I become that surviving changes us. After the bitterness, the anger, the guilt, and the despair are tempered by time, we look at life differently.

While I was writing my book, I want to Grow Hair, I Want to Grow Up, I Want to Go to Boise, I talked with mothers who had lost a child to cancer. Every single one said death gave their lives new meaning and purpose. And who do you think prepared them for the rough, lonely road they had to travel? Their dying child. They pointed their mothers toward the future and told them to keep going. The children had already accepted what their mothers were fighting to reflect.

The children in the bombed-out nursery in Oklahoma City have touched more lives than they will ever know. Workers who had probably given their kids a mechanical pat on the head without thinking that morning are making calls home during the day to their children to say, "I love you."

This may seem like a strange Mother's Day column on a day when joy and life abound for the millions of mothers throughout the country. But it's also a day of appreciation and respect. I can think of no mothers who deserve it more than those who had to give a child back.

In the face of adversity, we are not permitted to ask, "why me?" You can ask, but you won't get an answer. Maybe you are the instrument who is left behind to perpetuate the life that was lost and appreciate the time you had with it.

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2006. Mattie was four years old and in preschool. In Margaret's classroom, there was this neat loft. Mattie and his buddy Zachary (in the background) loved playing up there. That day I was the parent helper, so I got to see Mattie in action. Mattie's preschool was a co-op program and parents were required to volunteer in the classroom at least once a month. Which was just fine by me, as I was a very hands on parent. I am glad I had these moments, because I wasn't given a lifetime with Mattie, so I am glad I made the decision to have my life revolve around him. 


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

• number of people who were diagnosed with the virus: 1,307,676
• number of people who died from the virus: 78,746

Today's Mattie Miracle Virtual Walk update:

1. 228 people registered to walk
2. 45 states participating
3. 29 walk sponsors
4. raised $76,909 so far
5. 467 raffle tickets sold
6. 279 individual walk donations
7. 15 walk teams

In our home it is all Walk, all the time! Until May 17th is over, this virtual walk will be occupying every minute of our day. I really thought a virtual event would be easier than a live one. But given how I am feeling now, I don't know how I ever managed the admin of this Walk and also planned for a live event. I just don't feel like I would have the stamina to host a live even this year. I am not sure why I feel this way, but I think knowing that we are all living over 50+ days in shut down, does take a toll on one's attitude and mood. 

I do know that it is harder than ever to raise money and naturally the impact on the health and welfare of our society is weighing on people's minds and this translates into donations made to non-profits. Or in times like these, people want to support non-profits that directly provide support toward the crisis at hand. Makes sense and yet at the same time, the crisis of childhood cancer has not diminished or disappeared during the coronavirus. Instead, the psychosocial issues have only magnified. 

I am grateful to have the loyal support of so many of our donors, who have enabled us to raise close to $77,000 so far. One more week to go, and I truly don't have a feeling for how the actual virtual walk event will go. 

Friday, May 8, 2020

Friday, May 8, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2006. Mattie was four years old and enjoying his time out on our deck. At one point, Mattie's sandbox frog sat on our deck (now its in the commons area for all children to enjoy). Notice that Mattie wasn't sitting in the sand, but rather in the sandbox lid! He filled it all up with his sand toys and was pretending it was a boat, with his shovel as an oar.  


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

• number of people diagnosed with the virus: 1,281,246
• number of people who died from the virus: 76,901

It was a long day today that involved several hours on a zoom video call. NOT my favorite mode of communication. The notion that this is how businesses will continue to operate when things stabilize is frightening. There are many problems with this pandemic, but one major one is we have been locked up at home for over 50 days. During that time, work has been performed (if one is lucky enough to have a job) virtually. Things that once involved live conversations have migrated over to virtual calls and for the most part I am sensing that some people find this more efficient and this is how it should remain even when our states open back up. I am not a meeting person in general, but if a meeting has to occur, then nothing replaces face to face contact. I am hoping that this "new normal" as people call it does not become the norm. I did not like the 'new normal' lexicon when Mattie had cancer and I most certainly don't appreciate it now. 


The highlight of my day was Peter bought me ice cream. Even seeing the photo makes me smile. 

So what's the Virtual Walk update for today? Here you go.....

1. 219 people registered to walk
2. 45 states participating
3. 29 walk sponsors
4. raised $75,730 so far
5. 436 raffle tickets sold
6. 262 individual walk donations
7. 14 walk teams

If you know ANYONE in Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska or Alaska, please encourage them to participate and go to: www.mmcfwalk.com

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Tonight's photo was taken in May of 2006, on Mother's Day to be specific. That day, Peter and Mattie took me to Tower Oaks Lodge in Maryland. I always loved going to the Lodge, because Mattie liked their outdoor pond (with fish and turtles) and food, and I especially loved how they gave moms a plant on Mother's day. I remember coming home with several geraniums over the years.  


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

• number of people diagnosed with the virus: 1,254,740
• number of people who died from the virus: 75,543

Mattie Miracle and its core walk committee are working away on the May 17th Virtual Walk. Here's the update:

1. 211 registered participants
2. 44 states participating
3. 7 countries participating (USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Kazakhstan, Bermuda, & Cyprus)
4. 29 event sponsors
5. Raised $74,630 so far            
6. Sold 419 raffle tickets
7. 248 individual donations to the event
8. 13 walk teams

Learn more at www.mmcfwalk.com

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2006. It was Memorial Day weekend and we took Mattie to Sesame Street Place in Pennsylvania. Mattie had a great time at the park and we bought him an Elmo balloon. Mattie was huge Elmo fan, so he was eager to get a balloon. However, a Sesame Street character walking around saw Mattie and came up to him and gave him a second balloon for free. It was a double Elmo day! 









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

• number of people diagnosed with the virus: 1,227,430
• number of people who died from the virus: 73,095

Tonight's Mattie Miracle Virtual Walk update:

1. We have participants from 40 states 
2. 185 registered walkers
3. 27 event sponsors
4. raised $73,306 so far
5. Sold 355 raffle tickets
6. 218 individual donations
7. 13 walk teams

Get involved go to: www.mmcfwalk.com

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Tuesday, May 5, 2020 -- Mattie died 553 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2006. Mattie was four years old and very excited about the fact that his crib/toddler bed was dismantled and in its place he got an adult twin bed. Mattie even got to pick out his sheets. Given that he was a Bob the Builder TV show fan, it made sense that this theme carried over into his sheets. Not to mention sheets with dinosaurs, trains, and of course Lightning McQueen. 


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

• number of people diagnosed with the virus: 1,203,892
• number of people who died from the virus: 71,043

Today was like running the marathon. Sunny had his one month follow up appointment with his surgeon. So that was in Vienna, VA. About thirty minutes from where we live. Then in the afternoon, he had his first physical therapy appointment in Leesburg, VA. Which is over 40 minutes away from us! So literally we were in the car for several hours today. I would have to say that Sunny is exhausted and dealing with pain tonight. However, he got a good report from both his surgeon and therapist. The therapist calls him "her highness." As she loves his personality, yet regal nature. 

The highlight of my day was lunch! This is the first meal in 50 days that we haven't cooked ourselves. Because we were running around from one appointment to the next, we stopped at one of my favorite stores to get a salad. 

The rest of the day was like living in the land that time forgot. I was glued to the computer managing Walk related questions and donations all day. But being busy is a good sign, because that helps us get closer to our Walk financial goal of $100,000!

So here are tonight's walk facts:

1. We have participants from 32 states
2. 172 registered virtual walkers
3. 12 corporate sponsors and 15 individual sponsors
4. Raised $69,709 so far
5. On-line raffle sold 339 tickets
6. 201 individual donations
7. 12 walk teams

Monday, May 4, 2020

Monday, May 4, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2006. I will never forget snapping this photo. Mattie was four years old and in his hands was a photo of when he was a toddler. Mattie smiled and was standing next to our coffee table. The same table in the photo Mattie was holding. I love this photo because it shows how much Mattie had grown in just a few short years. As a toddler Mattie had to hold onto the table because he wasn't walking independently yet. Back then the table came up to his waist. However, in 2006, he was much bigger and the comparisons here truly illustrated his growth. 



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

• number of people diagnosed with the virus: 1,177,784
• number of people who died from the virus: 68,442

This year we have launched a 50 states campaign. Our goal is to get participants from every state in the country to walk virtually with us on May 17th. A participant can 1) register for the event, 2) donate to the Walk, 3) be a Walk sponsor, or 4) purchase raffle tickets. To date we participants from 29 states! If you know someone in a non-orange state, please encourage them to get involved and check out our Walk website: www.mmcfwalk.com
HELP US GET TO 50!

Some more Walk updates:

• 150 registered to virtually walk
• 29 states participating
• 13 corporate sponsors and 11 individual sponsors
• $67,263 raised so far
• 303 on-line raffle tickets sold
• 177 individual donations
• 12 walk teams

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2006. Mattie was four years old. That day, Peter took Mattie to Target. Together they picked out his first bike with training wheels. As well as this cute red helmet. By that afternoon, they had the bike assembled and Mattie was on it and riding around in our commons area. 


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

• number of people diagnosed with the virus: 1,154,621
• number of people who died from the virus: 67,451

This was my morning view! Peter was outside on our balcony with Indie and Sunny! Sunny loves the balcony, because there is a lot of bird and squirrel action in the trees. Indie isn't usually allowed out on the balcony. So today was novel for her, and she took to it like a duck to water. 

Meanwhile, this was what Peter's hair looked it. It was growing like a weed. Totally out of control and unmanageable. So I performed my first haircut on him today! This is the before photo!

Here is the after photo! I joked, that I could add this skill to my resume!

We went to the National Mall for our usual walk. Since the President is talking from the Lincoln Memorial tonight, parts of the Mall were totally gated off and surrounded by police. Yet there was still plenty of space to walk around, see people, and appreciate fresh air and greenery.  

Peter snapped this artistic photo of the sun and the Washington Monument. 

My priceless pooch! Happy to see me after we got back from a long walk. 

I call this Mattie's rhododendron. In our commons area we planted many trees, bulbs and bushes. We planted them in an area where Mattie used to pile his sticks, branches and other finds from our nature walks together. To me this area is now Mattie's memorial garden. The blooming of the rhododendron in this garden, always falls around Mattie's birthday!

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2007. We took Mattie to Andrews Air Force Base for their annual air show. This was our first and last air show together. Mattie loved cars, planes, trains, and boats. Basically anything that moved. It fascinated him. Mattie was truly in awe of the planes on display at the air base. It was a very hands on experience, as Mattie got to walk through many of the aircraft, meet members of the military and even see a Thunderbirds air show. It was a day to remember.







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

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 1,126,021
• Number of people who died from the virus: 66,045

The Washington National Mall has been our therapy for the last 40+ days. Each day we walk around it and get to see signs of life and hope. Yesterday was the truck rally and today was an incredible fly over by the Navy's Blue Angels and the Air Force's Thunderbirds. 

There were signs of life all around us. People walking about, and clearly illustrating that social distancing is possible in a city. We can function to some extent without having to be shut in at home. Today's air tribute was about first responders, but in essence what it did for all of us on the National Mall, was to instill hope...... which is vital for the human spirit and survival. 

These jets flew over New York City on Tuesday in a tribute to the medical personnel, first responders and other essential workers involved in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. They then moved to 
Trenton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. Today was the National Capital Region's opportunity to see this glorious salute to those working on the front line of the COVID-19 response. A flyover right above the Lincoln Memorial. 

Blue Angels on the left and the Thunderbirds on the right. 

They flew over us four different times! 
















The video Peter captured during the fourth and final flyover..............................