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 29, 2013

Friday, March 29, 2013

Friday, March 29, 2013

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2003, during Mattie's first birthday party. Starting last night, I decided to feature a birthday photo of Mattie (in chronological order) for the next week! Which will bring us to Mattie's 11th birthday on April 4th. Mattie's first birthday party theme was ELMO! Mattie was never a couch potato, nor was he ever glued to the TV or any other device for that matter. Mattie was a creatively active child from day one. However, if Sesame Street was on TV, and Mattie heard ELMO, he would stop whatever he was doing and stare at the TV. ELMO captured Mattie's attention. I am not sure if it was ELMO's voice or color, but it was clear that ELMO meant something to Mattie. Therefore when selecting a birthday theme, I picked something that clearly Mattie loved.

Quote of the day: When love dies, the heart's ashes do not leave on the wind—they rest on the mantelpiece of the soul, darkening the sunrise we once saw to be beautiful. ~ A.M. Hudson


Last night there was a beautiful FULL moon sitting right over the ocean. Peter went outside and captured some wonderful photos of Mattie Moon. You may think there is some sort of haziness or blur to this photo. However, what Peter was able to capture besides the moon, was a beautiful moon beam. I have heard of moon beams but not until last night had I ever seen one.


I had a difficult night of sleep and woke up with just as an intense headache as I went to bed with. I have had an excruciating headache for over two weeks straight. It is beyond pain, it is debilitating. Peter has me on a three day NO work schedule. If he sees me working or even focusing on work, he remedies the situation. This morning, though it was cold out, the sun was glorious. So we sat outside on the deck. It maybe March, but Peter's skin burns easily, so he was all covered up. I thought this look was so funny, I snapped a photo of him! Notice the Boston Red Sox blanket! Mattie was given this blanket when he was battling cancer and it is one of many that I still have and we use.

While sitting on the deck, this is the view of the Atlantic Ocean that we can see. I think the highlight of my day was just sitting still, listening to the birds and ocean, and spending time with Peter chatting. We carry a lot of sadness around with us and when I stop moving and working, this is usually when I begin to cry. It doesn't take much to set me off, especially when I have such intense head pain. Such pain is frightening because the greatest fear is when or if it will end? Before we left Washington, DC, Peter said something to me that caught my attention. We focus on helping people daily in both our personal and professional lives and all of this helping is draining. Yet both of us have so much that we are working through individually and with each other. So his point was we need to get away and have these moments to make sure we are okay as people and as a couple. My joke with Peter is that he missed his calling as a therapist! His insights are usually spot on. I am hoping a weekend of not working on anything Foundation related restores some sort of balance in my life and body.
 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dear Vicki,
I hope your headaches subside soon so you can enjoy a relaxing time away. As Mattie's birthday approaches, I understand your pain and truly empathize with you and Peter.

We just went through our girl's first birthday without her, she would've been 21, and monday will be one year since she left us. Such is life, but it doesn't make any sense, and it sure doesn't get any easier. We promised her that we would be okay, so she could go ahead and move on to her next mission, and we are doing our best on a daily basis, but some days are just too much.

I truly appreciate and respect you, for you never stop sharing about Mattie, no matter how bad a day you are having. That speaks not only of your undenniable love for your beautiful boy, but of the commitment you have to keeping his memory alive and sharing him with all of us. Please know that you are not alone, that your readers understand you and are with you, that I understand you and am with you. I find myself nodding in agreement many times when you express the feelings you and Peter go through. It's unfathomable, unless you have lived through such horror.

Praying for better, sunnier days ahead, and sending you healing hugs from Burbank.