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 8, 2016

Monday, February 8, 2016

Monday, February 8, 2016

Tonight's picture was taken on February 19, 2009. Mattie was quarantined in his room because of the fear that he had a contagious infection called c-diff. Needless to say they tested his blood numerous times and thankfully within a day or so we learned Mattie did not have this bacterial infection. Which was a blessing because it was hard enough to be isolated for a day, but once you have c-diff, you are isolated for three weeks for treatment. Can you imagine being isolated in this postage size room for three weeks?

That day in isolation, Linda (Mattie's child life specialist) and Anna (Mattie's physical therapist) came into the room to do a therapy session with Mattie. Despite the isolation there were rockets going off in our room and as usual it wasn't boring. In the doorway was Brandon, Mattie's best buddy. Brandon was in the hospital with a ruptured appendix and had to have surgery. Though Brandon couldn't come into the room, notice it didn't stop him from interacting with Mattie and being a part of our day!


Quote of the day: The train blows, just when I was forgetting. Forgetting that I am here alone. And I wonder if those cars got held up by its passing, just as I have yours. ~ Kellie Elmore


I went to visit the next doctor in my arsenal today, an orthopedist. I wanted to consult this doctor on the neuropathy (weakness, numbness, and pain from nerve damage) I am having in my leg and arm. I discussed my theory that I feel I got these symptoms after taking a long term anti-inflammatory drug for Costochondritis, which I got after my surgery in November. My internist said such a reaction wasn't possible, but the orthopedist doesn't disagree with me. She says it is possible. But to be honest no one can really explain why I am having these symptoms which is why next week I am headed for an hour long MRI. It is pretty awful to go into an MRI chamber head first for an hour. I know the prospect of such a test used to freak Mattie out, which was why he was always sedated. I totally get that. 

I love when the MRI was prescribed to me, the doctor basically said it is just an MRI, no big deal. I actually laughed because I could have given her a lecture over that comment alone. I would think for the average person, taking an MRI for an hour would be daunting. It is a tight space, when your head is involved, they actually put something over your head to keep it in place, and then you have these ridiculous sounds blaring at you and jostling your body. It isn't good, but then on top of that I also have all the memories associated with Mattie and his MRI scans. So in all reality when she says the MRI is no big deal, it is actually quite a big deal indeed. 

I am signing off for today because I have been dealing with a non-stop migraine for three weeks now. This happens periodically for me and when it does it is absolutely debilitating. I have no warning as to when this will come on nor when it will dissipate. 

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