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

September 15, 2018

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Tonight's picture was taken in September of 2005. We took Mattie to a park and I have no idea what got into him, but the next thing I knew when I turned around was that he was carrying a big log. The log was almost bigger than him! Sometimes Mattie would do things that would just make me laugh. That was definitely one of those times. 


Quote of the day: Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. ~ Thomas Merton


Today my friend in cancer invited me to a free workshop she was giving in an art gallery in Arlington, VA. I met my friend through the hospital, as she too lost an only child. We met in 2013, and have been friends ever since. Ilona has found art very helpful on her grief journey. She has studied art and even got a certification in intentional painting. Today's workshop was to create a mini smash book. 

I had never heard of a smash book, so I had to look it up. A smash book is a new trendy way to do your memory keeping. A simple do it yourself craft idea. Smashing is a way to journal that isn’t as precise as scrapbooks are usually considered to be.  A smash book doesn’t need to be in chronological order and it’s even okay if you skip around on the pages. 


This set up was in front of each of us. Ilona had several examples of smash books on display and she walked us through the entire process. 

First she had us write words on a piece of paper. Words that either resonate with us or words that are a part of our lives. Mostly people chose happy words, mine weren't as upbeat. 
So this is what my paper looked like. Words were underneath, and then we shook powder paint on top of the words and sprayed the powder with a water bottle. It was an interesting technique. My colors were Mattie Miracle themed. 
 There were two long tables of attendees! 
This was my final product. You basically take the paper, dry it with a hairdryer and then folder it around a notebook. Almost like a jacket cover!
These were most of the attendees! All I know is it was an hour where I wasn't checking my phone, working on the computer, or focused on Foundation tasks. It was a break. 
My friend Peggy came to the class with me! A photo of us with our final products. 
Me and Ilona. I told her this photo captures two true survivors. 

No comments: