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

June 9, 2012

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Saturday, June 9, 2012


Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2009, at the Mattie March. Pictured with Mattie was Tricia, one of Mattie's favorite HEM/ONC nurses. Tricia is not only a competent and capable nurse, but what makes her an outstanding nurse is her ability to connect with her patients and families, and her advocacy for her patients with doctors and other hospital personnel. There are many memories we have with Tricia, some memories are filled with antics, such as her chasing a fly around Mattie's hospital room and then pretending to eat it, and of course more serious and life altering moments such as when she told me Mattie was dying. When I look at this picture, it takes me back to the time when we thought Mattie's chemo treatments were ending, and that soon we would be working on rehabilitation. It was only two months after this picture was taken that we learned Mattie's situation was terminal.


Quote of the day: Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. ~ Kahil Gibran


The beauty of Tricia is that her career as a nurse is not just a job, but it is a life calling. When Mattie died on September 8, 2009, Tricia's responsibility for caring for Mattie and us technically ended. Yet here we are two and a half years later, and she is still an instrumental part of our lives. Tricia walked with us through Mattie's cancer battle, through his death (she was one of the nurses who assisted us the morning of Mattie's death, for it was Tricia, Debbi, and Katie who helped wash Mattie's body, put him in a body bag, and take him to the Hospital morgue -- things a parent will never forget), and now through our grief.


My mood hadn't improved today, and fortunately Peter understands these moods, which helps. The one bright spot in our day was we received a package from Tricia. Unexpected surprises are always lovely. I actually am not sure what was more of a gift, her actual card and sentiments or the meaningful gifts she sent. Tricia collected gifts for us that reminded her of Mattie along her vacation travels, and shared them with us. Tricia knows my love of butterflies and how they remind me of Mattie. Just when I thought I have seen almost everything with a butterfly on it, she surprised me with this wonderful butterfly wind charm. The monarch butterfly is actually a hologram and the picture changes with the movement of the wind. The crystal hanging beneath it also captures the sun, and spreads rainbows around our whole deck.


This will always be Tricia's Mug to me. I get attached to objects easily, especially when given to me by those closest to me. I love the butterfly on this mug and the sentiments attached to it.

As you can see, my refrigerator is covered with Mattie art work. Things he created in preschool, kindergarten, and at home. In addition, we have quite a magnet collection as well on the refrigerator, and Mattie, like me, enjoyed this collection and always moved them around and rearranged them for me. Our newest magnet addition, thanks to Tricia, is this beautiful blue crocheted butterfly. Seem to be a very fitting reminder in and amongst Mattie's things.

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