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 2, 2015

Monday, November 2, 2015

Monday, November 2, 2015


Tonight's two pictures were taken in October of 2005. Mattie was three years old and doing something he absolutely LOVED. Which was painting with his feet. I would set up a whole painting station in our living room. Do not ask me how we did not get paint everywhere. But 

somehow we didn't. Mattie was very careful and neat by nature, which was why we were two peas in a pod. Yet he did like getting messy and doing very messy activities, but appreciated that the mess shouldn't travel to furniture and walls. When Peter saw this photo tonight, his immediate response was.... look at Mattie checking out his feet and evaluating the finished product!


Quote of the day: There could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison. Jane Austen


When I saw Jane Austen's quote tonight, I immediately thought of Mattie. Though I am quite sure when she wrote it, she did not have a mother and child in mind. Yet for Mattie and I, we just understood each other and communicated and felt in similar ways. We were both bold, appreciated the ability for free expression, and we were honest about our feelings and thoughts with ourselves and with other people. It is hard to be without this special connection in my life. 

This morning I got a call from the hospital following up with me on the incision from the biopsy I had on Friday. While talking with the technician, I asked her when my results would come in. They mentioned on Friday that they could be available today. However, that wasn't accurate. It takes three BUSINESS DAYS to culture the tissue, and of course Saturday and Sunday don't count. My joke is don't get sick on a Friday, because you are placed on hold until Monday! It is the state of our healthcare system. Avoid Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays! The rest of the days.... go right ahead and have a problem. The unfortunate part is our bodies do not follow the needs of the healthcare system! 


I had the opportunity to meet the lady in this photo today. This is Stella and she is my friend Heidi's sister. Stella lives in California and is visiting her sister for a few days. Stella has taken a liking to candy sorting and is sorting up a storm! 



To me this expression is priceless! Stella thought she finished sorting all the candy that came into Heidi's bin today, however, when she went back outside, she found the bin was filled up again! It speaks to the generosity of candy donors in Heidi's neighborhood. Heidi posts a message about our candy drive every year in her neighborhood listserv, and within one week, she has hundreds of pounds of candy! It is remarkable. 










While the above bin is at Heidi's house, this orange one is at my friend Ann's house. There are literally bins on peoples' front porches all over town! That is how vast this collection is becoming! We have Maryland, Virginia, and DC covered! 

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