Mattie's Blog and his Fight Against Osteosarcoma

Thank you for keeping Mattie's memory alive!

Dear Mattie Blog Readers,

It means a great deal to me that you take the time to write and to share your thoughts, feelings, and reflections on Mattie's battle and death. Your messages are very meaningful and help support me through very challenging times. I am 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 have stopped writing on September 9, 2010. However, like my journey with grief there is so much that 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 me, and most importantly thank you for keeping Mattie's memory alive.

As Mattie would say, Ooga Booga (meaning, I LOVE YOU)! Vicki

November 18, 2019

Monday, November 18, 2019

Monday, November 18, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in November of 2003. Mattie was a year and a half old and as you can see he was fascinated by this squirrel who climbed onto our balcony. Since we are on the third floor, it is unusual to see a squirrel! Yet that day we got a visit and Mattie was transfixed and glued to the window.

Quote of the day: There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about. ~ Margaret J. Wheatley

I am happy to say that Mattie Miracle's 9th Annual Post Halloween Candy Drive is over and was a huge success. We are deeply grateful to all of our candy contributors who are comprised of individuals, 38 schools, and 47 community groups and businesses.

This year, 18,000 pounds of candy was donated to Mattie Miracle. Yes 9 tons!!! Thanks to our volunteers, this candy was inspected, sorted by type into Ziploc bags to preserve the candy for our recipients, and delivered throughout Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The candy is intended to provide a sweet treat to family members caring for children with cancer. Specifically, a good portion of this candy is used to stock our two Mattie Miracle Snack and Item Carts. One Cart is located at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC and the second Cart is at Children's Hospital at Sinai in Baltimore, MD.

This Drive provides a year's worth of candy for our Carts. The Carts are pushed three times a week in the in-patient units of the Hospitals and offer free candy, nutritional snacks, drinks, and toiletry items to families. Families are deeply appreciative to receive these basic items because it is very difficult to leave their children's bedside to try to meet their daily needs.

There were 18 Recipients of Mattie Miracle Candy this year:

Washington, DC
1. MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
2. Ronald McDonald House
3. HSC Pediatric Center
4. Children's National Medical Center
5. Covenant House
6. Sasha Bruce

Maryland
1. Children’s Hospital at Sinai, Baltimore
2. Hackerman Patz House, Baltimore
3. Ronald McDonald House, Baltimore
4. Children's Inn at NIH, Bethesda
5. Nourish Now, Rockville
6. St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth, and Family, Hyattsville

Northern Virginia
1. Ronald McDonald House, Falls Church
2. Special Love for Children with Cancer, Winchester
3. Pediatric Specialists of Northern Virginia (PSV), Falls Church
4. Embry Rucker Community Shelter, Reston
5. Cornerstones, Reston

6. United Community Ministries, Alexandria

Click on the Candy photo to see our Candy Drive 2019 video: