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

August 30, 2017

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Wednesday, August 30, 2017



Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2006. My parents and I took Mattie to San Diego for a few days that summer. I snapped a photo of Mattie on the balcony of our Embassy Suites hotel room. From the room we could see the harbor, where we toured the USS Midway. Mattie loved his adventures to San Diego and was a great traveler. Flying, sailing, trains, and cars.... nothing bothered him. He welcomed the new experiences. 







Quote of the day: Never be bullied into silence, never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, define yourself. ~ Robert Frost



On the way to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) today, I snapped this photo. Can you see the plane practically in step with us that is landing?
If you have never flown in or out of LA, then what I am reporting may sound unbelievable. But this airport has to be one of the busiest and most user unfriendly airports I have ever traveled through. First of all thanks to LA traffic, it can take hours to just drive to the airport to check in. So if you aren't stressed from trying to get to the airport, then I assure you the terminal will do you in. Terminals are swarming with people, and some people do not have any patience. I had several people just trying to cut me off while waiting to go through the security check point. However, once I started barking, I put them in their place and they moved behind me. 

However, look who I found greeting passengers at my gate. Ivy, the therapy dog. Ivy is a labradoodle and spends one day a week at the airport. She is trained and certified, and is a member of LAX's Pets Unstressing Passengers (PUP) program. 

Check out this video describing the Pets Unstressing Passengers program at LAX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO9U9mjWDJ8



The PUP program operates 7 days a week, and has multiple therapy dogs on hand to help relieve passenger stress and also the dog handlers are on point to help answer questions about the terminal and other logistics for passengers. 
There are also trading cards that passengers can collect on each of the dogs. Ivy's handler shared her card with me!
Some facts about Ivy! What I can tell you is that the demeanor of people in the waiting area changed while interacting with Ivy. Not only did people of all ages want to get to pet Ivy, but then the beautiful thing is people took their noses out of their electronic devices and started talking to each other. 
Here is a photo I snapped while saying goodbye to LA. Another gloriously sunny and hot day in LA. A stark contrast to cloudy and muggy DC. 
Midway during the flight, I looked out the window, and saw Mattie Moon! I knew everything was going to be alright after seeing my moon. 
Meanwhile, look who was happy to see me when I got home!
Sunny was panting from excitement. Clearly I was missed. Indie was also buzzing around me and in her own way welcomed me back. 

1 comment:

Margy Jost said...

Definitely people run out of patience at crowded airports. It is great that Pet Therapy has been introduced there. I can only imagine what a nightmare security is. I am glad you saw the Mattie Moon on your flight. I have come to associate all moon sightings as Mattie Moon. I think of you & Mattie immediately.

Sunny definitely loves you. You gave him security, right from the first day, he became your Sunny. It is obvious in those two pictures that you are loved and were missed! That is beautiful!