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

February 12, 2014

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Tonight's picture was taken in February of 2009. That day Mattie went to clinic and his art therapists, Jenny and Jessie, asked him if he wanted to paint something on the Pediatrics welcome sign that was going to placed by the elevator banks on the fifth floor of the hospital. Mattie was totally disinterested with that whole request until I suggested that he could put his foot print on the sign. Mattie's left leg was nicknamed "George." After the lovable monkey, Curious George. Not unlike Curious George, Mattie's left leg was the only limb without a tumor in it, and therefore was never operated on. It functioned beautifully and in many ways, Mattie's left leg and foot almost operated like an arm and hand. Any case, you can see Jessie and Jenny putting red paint on "George." The photo below shows you the sign that hangs on the fifth floor of the Hospital with Mattie's footprint on it. As people pass that sign each day, they probably do not know whose hand print and footprint are on that sign, but I remember all too well. The hand print belongs to Baby Morgan (who is no longer a baby!) and the footprint belonged to Mattie. 


Mattie's footprint is near the 'N' in Georgetown. A part of Mattie will always remain on the fifth floor of the hospital. 















Quote of the day: The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. ~ Allan K. Chalmers


Peter and I are safely in Tampa. It was an uneventful flight, which is the best kind. About 13 years ago, Peter worked in Tampa. Literally he would hop on a plane on Monday and return to DC on Friday. We managed this for over a year. One spring I came down to visit Peter and literally for an entire week all I experienced was rain. I mean torrential rain. I frankly have never seen Tampa when it wasn't raining. Guess what, as I am typing this, it is pouring! I am thrilled to be on the ground and not in this rain storm. 

Actually we are lucky we were able to get to Florida at all, since the East coast is at a stand still with pending snow. In fact, several of our think tank folks have canceled flights and one of the keynoters for the conference is now not coming because of canceled flights. We are fortunate to have our friends Denise and Dave with us. Not only are they friends but they are also Mattie Miracle supporters, who helped us today with luggage and brought all sorts of teas for me. They come to attend the think tank and to help us man our exhibit booth on Friday and Saturday. Help which is greatly appreciated!

When we arrived at the hotel, the front desk was busy, so they referred us to the concierge desk for check in. That was a fortunate problem for us, because it was there that we met Dorcas. Dorcas just transferred to the Marriott from the Ritz Carlton. The key is she worked at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown, in Washington, DC. So we had a lot to talk about. Needless to say, Dorcas has taken very good care of us. She upgraded our room to the 24th floor, with an amazing balcony and view, and she gave us a reduced price on top of everything else. NOT the price I was quoted when I booked the reservation. Clearly nothing to argue about, I am not used to prices going down, only UP!   

Even our taxi driver was pleasant and knowledgeable. He gave us some history on Tampa, specifically about the historic neighborhood in Tampa, called Ybor which is located just northeast of downtown. Ybor was founded in the 1880s by cigar manufacturers and was populated by thousands of immigrants, mainly from SpainCuba, and Italy. For the next 50 years, workers in Ybor City's cigar factories would roll millions of cigars annually. During the great Depression the factories closed and with that Ybor fell into disrepair. Now of course it is restored and is a National Historic Landmark. It is our hope to see it while we are here.

I am trying to take it easier tonight, as I am still recovering. The Foundation's think tank is from 9am to 4:30pm tomorrow, and after which we will need to set up the Mattie Miracle exhibit hall booth. So it will be a very full day for us and Mattie Miracle!

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