Tonight's picture was taken in January of 2006. This has to be one of my favorite photos of Mattie. I caught him while in the tub, soap all over himself, and in his element of playing with water. When there are days I get down and am exhausted from Foundation work, I turn to my Mattie wall of memories (canvas photos of Mattie now in his room), and this pushes me forward to continue on. "On" can mean many things, but it does give me a will and purpose for living. Because I know without doing what I do, there is no Mattie Miracle Cancer Foundation.
Quote of the day: As for accomplishments, I just did what I had to do as things came along. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
I think Peter and I relate to Eleanor Roosevelt's quote, especially when it comes to Foundation achievements and accomplishments. We do what we have to do and address needs and issues as they come along to us. Okay, well perhaps that is an over simplification of what we do, but in a nutshell, neither of us set a Foundation goal so that we can be recognized and given kudos. Which is why when I received a phone call from Tim (our friend and Georgetown University Hospital administer), that we were nominated and selected to be the Hospital's Flame of Hope recipient this year, I was STUNNED. Part of me is still stunned.
I must admit when Tim told me about this honor, I had no idea what he was talking about. I did not know what the Flame of Hope award was and I also thought the gala for the Hospital had already past. See where I am at! Needless to say this award is given at the Hospital's gala in March. The mission of the gala is the following:
I must admit when Tim told me about this honor, I had no idea what he was talking about. I did not know what the Flame of Hope award was and I also thought the gala for the Hospital had already past. See where I am at! Needless to say this award is given at the Hospital's gala in March. The mission of the gala is the following:
Georgetown University and Medstar Georgetown University
Hospital recognize that a key mission of an academic medical center is to
provide personalized medical care of the highest quality combined with state-of-the-art
medical technology. Our programs provide the most advanced treatments, but do so in
the context of “cura personalis” – care for the whole person. The proceeds from the Fifteenth Annual Georgetown Pediatrics
Gala will support research programs in General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) and Georgetown
University Medical Center. In addition, the 2014 Gala proceeds will be used for
clinical, teaching and community pediatric programs that support children and
families served at MGUH in the Department of Pediatrics.
What I did not know was the history of the gala and why it was created in the first place. The gala started in 2000, after Mary Hoobler lost her husband at Georgetown University Hospital. Her husband, Jim, developed a post-surgical breathing disorder in which he had to be admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, because it was there that a specialize treatment (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) was available. After exploring many options to honor Jim and to somehow repay the pediatricians and nurses who cared for her husband with extraordinary compassion and tremendous dignity, Mary founded the Georgetown Pediatrics Gala. In her own words, Mary “decided the best way I could repay these exceptional professionals and celebrate the excellence that lives at Georgetown, was to raise funds for Georgetown’s critically important clinical and community pediatrics programs.”
I had the opportunity to have an email exchange with Mary today and I told her that I am inspired with individuals like herself who experience a great loss and yet find a way to channel that grief to help countless others. Needless to say Peter and I are very honored to receive this award and I was deeply touched when Tim and Dr. Aziza Shad (the director of the pediatric oncology program at Georgetown and one of Mattie's doctors, actually the doctor who helped Mattie die) told me today that Mattie Miracle is not only a local foundation it is a national organization and is accomplishing things that are noteworthy, important, and help countless children and families.
As I absorb all this excitement today, and naturally always pause to ask myself..... I wonder what Mattie would say about this?!!! If you would like to learn more about the Flame of Hope Award, I attached two links below. Past recipients have been people like Laura Bush and Tipper Gore. Certainly I do the work for Mattie Miracle daily, but without our countless supporters, nothing could ever be achieved. So when we accept this award in March, please know that we accept it with all of you in mind.
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