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

November 14, 2014

Friday, November 14, 2014

Friday, November 14, 2014

Tonight's picture was taken on November 12 of 2008. This photo was taken at a horrible hour of the morning! Like 5 something, as Mattie was being prepped for surgery. How any of us were smiling is beyond me! This was the day Mattie had his second limb salvaging surgery. Of course his second surgery was a misnomer because he did not only have just one part operated on! During this second surgery Mattie had his right leg, left arm, and left wrist all operated on at one time. We were apart from Mattie for 12 hours. This seemed like an eternity until we could see him and when we did in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU), Mattie was an absolute mess! I actually found the PACU daunting. It was one big room filled with patients all recovering from surgery. Most of them were adults and then there was Mattie. When they finally allowed us in the unit to see Mattie, as I was walking down the hallway, I could hear him screaming in pain. Typically the PACU doesn't allow both parents back there but I think they were happy to have us both there to help manage Mattie. 


Quote of the day: We don't heal in isolation, but in community. ~ S. Kelley Harrell


I had a long licensure board meeting today in which we had an ethical violations trial. Needless to say I sat through a seven hour long meeting! Without FOOD! No matter how many years I have served in this role, human dynamics never cease to amaze me. Or the power and control that people possess to cause harm to one another. Right before me I could see a train wreck unfolding between a former client and a therapist during the trial. At one point for the emotional protection of one party, I removed her and put her closer to me. After a full day of that, I must say I came away from the meeting with a royal headache and rather disgusted by what I experienced! I unfortunately can't go into more details. 

Meanwhile while I was enduring the meeting, I received several wonderful photos from my friend Tina. There was more candy sorting going on today! In addition, one of the local businesses in Falls Church, VA who were collecting candy for our annual drive sent us some great photos today!!! Several members from Body Dynamics, INC posed with the candy they collected! They not only snapped a photo or two, they did it in a very creative manner. I just love it!!!  http://www.bodydynamicsinc.com/



At Tina's house today was another sorting party! This group of ladies sorting candy are all from Mattie's preschool, Resurrection Children's Center. From left to right are Catherine, Dawnee, Ann, Maria, and Mary. I haven't been able to attend one of Tina's big sorting parties, but she has told me that these parties are like an old fashioned quilting bee. In which women gather and land up bonding, talking, chatting, sharing stories, strategies on being a parent, and ultimately uniting on a common goal. The goal in this case is not a quilt but to sort candy for the Foundation. It is the equivalent of the 21st century quilting bee. I thought Tina's observation was so meaningful that I wrote to Fox 5 TV about it because there is very few things that bring people face to face these days that actually get them talking and really bonding! Also excited about being together and really wanting to come back to SORT some MORE!!! Unheard of to me, because to me sorting is taxing work!!!

No comments: