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

October 19, 2018

Friday, October 19, 2018

Friday, October 19, 2018

Tonight's picture was taken in October of 2008. I can remember this day very vividly. Mattie was eager to spend time in the child life playroom. While there, Linda (his child life specialist) asked Mattie if he wanted anything particular to play with or work on. Mattie requested model magic, which is like clay or playdoh, just cleaner and it dries beautifully. Mattie created a seascape using a big piece of paper. He painted it and then started building a model magic bridge and sea creatures floating all around. I don't know if you can see it clearly, but lined up on the model magic bridge were hotwheel cars. Needless to say, I think I have one of these model magic sea creatures still on display in Mattie's bedroom. 


Quote of the day: A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent. ~ Douglas MacArthur

In 2000, two years before Mattie was born, I was elected to be the president-elect of the DC Mental Health Counselors Association (DCMHCA). Together Peter and I developed this logo for the Association, a logo that is still being used today! DCMHCA is a state chapter of our parent association, the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA). AMHCA is a national professional association representing the educational, training, and advocacy needs of clinical mental health counselors. AMHCA's membership is over 7,000 professionals. 

Joining professional associations was impressed upon us in graduate school. So I got involved early on. In 2000, I was still trying to complete my doctoral program, yet because of my level of activity in the Association, I was elected to be president elect. The way it goes in an Association is you become president-elect, then president, and finally past-president. So it is a three year commitment. In 2003, when my commitment was over, the leadership of the board did not want to see me go. Keep in mind by that time, Mattie was born and I was juggling him full time, teaching part time, and other professional commitments on the side. Yet, I agreed to stay on and the board appointed me the executive director of DCMHCA. I remained in that role until the day Mattie was diagnosed. Then like many of my professional commitments, I dropped them immediately. 

Because of my extensive work with DCMHCA on the local level, I was making a name for myself on the National level. So in July of 2007, I was elected the president-elect of AMHCA. I was the youngest person ever elected to be president of that organization. It was a busy year for me that culminated in the planning of a national conference in San Diego, CA. I will never forget how successful that conference was, and the blood, sweat, and tears I put into it. I was stunned that the Association got me a huge suite at the conference hotel. It had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. All with balconies. I remember snapping this photo one early morning. Meanwhile, I would call home every day to check up on Peter and see how Mattie was feeling. I knew Mattie's arm was bothering him for a week before I left for San Diego. I wasn't happy with Peter's reports and I told him as soon as I got home, I was taking Mattie in to see the pediatrician. Which I did and of course learned Mattie had osteosarcoma.

I was the president of this 7,000 member organization, but I never was able to fulfill my position because I was caring for Mattie in the hospital. The Association did not want me to step down as President, but they also did not want me to come clean with membership and tell them what I was balancing. I was saddened by that reality, but frankly given all that I was dealing with, I really did not care!

Why am I walking down memory lane? Because today, out of the blue, I had an hour long conversation with a board member of DCMHCA. She called me because she told me the organization hasn't run effectively or smoothly since it lost its executive director. Cute way of saying.... me! As the Association never got a replacement once I left. I could see why, as the position was time consuming both administratively and logistically. Yet 18 years later apparently my work is still being talked about and I was asked to come back as a consultant to help the board get back on its feet. I am not going into more detail here because of the nature of some of the issues. But I have to say this is a part of my life that I almost forgot. As it seems like this was a different Vicki back then, who lived a totally different life. Yet all of these leadership experiences popped right back into my head with just this phone call today. I feel grateful in a way, because some people never learn the impact they made on others. Today I got to hear about it first hand. 

1 comment:

Margy Jost said...

Vicki, CONGRATULATIONS! I am so glad this woman called & you learned how positively, your worked was received. It is no surprise to me as you put your heart & soul into important areas in life. I am so glad to know you received this great compliment