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

January 12, 2018

Friday, January 12, 2018

Friday, January 12, 2018

Tonight's picture was taken in January of 2009. Mattie was home between treatments and Caroline came over to teach Mattie how to play the piano. Caroline was a teacher at Mattie's school, but never interacted with us pre-cancer. However, once she heard about Mattie's cancer diagnosis she contacted me and asked if she could visit. At the visit she learned that Mattie wanted to learn to play the piano, and she agreed to teach him (keep in mind that she was not a music teacher at school). Now the story about the keyboard......Mattie received this keyboard from two wonderful volunteers at the hospital. They knew how much Mattie loved music and enjoyed their visits, that they literally gave him this keyboard. So there were times Caroline taught Mattie on the keyboard and other times on our piano. I think it is interesting to also note that we have an upright piano! How did we get it? Well a neighbor of ours was moving out and she liked Mattie. She felt that he should have her piano and learn how to play (which happened pre-cancer). Mattie had a way of inspiring others to give gifts, gifts which were totally unsolicited by Mattie.


Quote of the day: If you seek creative ideas go walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.Raymond I. Myers


It's January and just last week it was in single digits, but today was 67 degrees. Honestly it makes no sense! Despite the warmth, it was raining and gray all day. 

By mid-afternoon, I took Sunny for a walk by the Potomac River. How do you like this sight? Literally there was a flock of geese walking across the Potomac River from one side to the other. Rarely do I see the Potomac totally frozen, but it has been that cold. 

It was a very dramatic walk. I can't tell you how many people were down by the River snapping photos. I think they were intrigued by the fog. I have never seen so many people interested in taking photos. Actually I would say there was more interest to take photos of the fog than on a beautiful sunny day. 
The sky was filled with clouds, combined with ice on the River and fog, it made for a very ethereal photo. 
This evening, our neighbors who have dogs all met up in our commons area. Typically this happens only in the spring. It is amazing what warm weather will do to people and dogs. I do think it inspires community and conversation, which is a rarity in the city. 

1 comment:

Margy Jost said...

Vicki, Despite the weather, your walk along the Potomac seemed lovely even with the gloomy fog. I would like to sleep through weather like this and wake up to Sushine. Ken, on the other hand loves days like this. He sees beauty where I can't . I find this a very interesting fact because all our married life, if we woke up to rain, he loved hearing it pounding on the roof!
I love your quote tonight. Makes me think of the times, I walk in silence yet have a conversation with Kimber, my parents. This should sound every but it isn't