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

October 5, 2013

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Tonight's picture was taken in October of 2008. At that point Mattie just had his first limb salvaging surgery and was recovering. His arm was bandaged and in a sling, but the left arm was fully functional. Mainly because the left arm hadn't been operated on yet. This photo always gets me to laugh. The lady by the door was Anna, Mattie's physical therapist. Mattie, I believe, really pushed Anna to grow as a physical therapist. Anna became a trusted member of our team and she always looked out for Mattie's best interest and found creative ways to inspire Mattie to use his limbs and keep them active. As you can see, Anna wanted Mattie to lift his left arm and maintain its strength. Certainly he could have achieved this through exercises, but she knew he wouldn't do them. But he would play! Therefore, she brought in a water gun and animals in front of him that squirted out water. Anna was the target and Mattie had a great time that day trying to get her all wet.


Quote of the day: I think the best friendships are those that can stand the test of time, where the friendship is based more on who you are than on what you do or what you have. ~ Steve Pavlina


Though the Foundation had one activity after another this week, I had the good fortune to be able to connect with two friends who live out of state. The irony is I met both of these ladies through the same professional association, an association in which I was a board member.

On Thursday evening, I met with my friend Beth, who now lives in South Carolina. The last time we saw each other was at Mattie's funeral. So it was a very special reconnection and the hours we spent together just flew by. Beth and I have a mutual respect for each other and when Mattie was first diagnosed with cancer, I took him over to Beth's home in Alexandria, VA. Beth is a cancer survivor and the visit was to show Mattie that Beth survived and therefore with treatment, he could too. Mattie met Beth's cat, she gave him some meaningful gifts, and it was a special outing for us during a very stressful, anxiety provoking, and uncertain time. You don't forget these acts of kindness. They remain with me, so much so that Beth and I reflected on that visit, now five years later!!!!

Today, Peter and I went out to lunch with my friend Nancy and her husband. Nancy and I have known each other for years and she even drove down from NYC in May to attend the Foundation's Walk. Nancy and Marv drove from New York City today and it was our first time meeting as couples. We had a great time together and Nancy surprised me with this beautiful decorative orange butterfly. This butterfly is the first of my hopefully growing collection that will be decorating Mattie's new room. My goal is to transform Mattie's room into all things butterfly! Including the sun and the moon. 

I love tonight's quote, because my friendships with Nancy and Beth are definitely based on "who we are," and not what we do or have! Being appreciated for who one is, is vital, especially since I am a person who is defined by cancer and the loss of a son. There are so many slogans out there of what cancer can't do to a person. It can't do this and that to one's character, personality, etc! I get all of that in theory, but for most of us cancer does define us and most likely will to some extent all of our lives. I think what my friends appreciate about me is that I am straight shooter, I have opinions, you know where I stand, and I tend to be a person who stands by these convictions. Any case, in the midst of whirlwind of a week, that has left me exhausted, I find reconnecting with friends energizing. Friends have a way of reminding us who we are at the core, and frankly regardless of who you are, I believe..... we all need to feel a part of something and appreciated.
 

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