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

February 15, 2020

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken on February 24, 2009. Mattie was home between hospital visits. Mattie loved all sorts of water play and when the Mattie couldn't get to the tub, I tried to make the tub come to him. We set up a waterproof table cloth on the floor and brought out big pots filled with water. Mattie had a great time washing his vehicles and playing. One thing about Mattie, was that he really did force those of us around him to think outside the box. As there was always more than way to get something done. With Mattie, I was motivated and always rose to the challenge. 


Quote of the day: There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart. Jane Austen

Yesterday I was listening to the radio, and I heard about the Washington Post article entitled, Rats will devour your car! A rather funny title really because it leaves you wondering how on earth a rodent could possibly take on a large metal object? But living in DC, I am not at all surprised! Since I am quite sure the city has more rodents than people. 

Rats, better known for inhabiting sewers and dumpsters, also love to settle in the innards of vehicles in cooler months (see the photo above, this is what a rat did under the hood of a car.... builds a nest out of rubbish and other found items). The warmth and shelter attracts them, but it's the wires and hoses that entertain them: Rats' teeth grow constantly, and they gnaw on things to keep their teeth trim. Inside an engine bay, they can blow fuses, start fires and even total cars. Blame is often cast on the soy-based wiring insulation that many auto manufacturers now use, which is considered ecologically sounder than the petroleum-derived insulation it replaced. The lawsuits have argued that it is also tastier to rodents and therefore defective, and that car warranties should cover rodent damage. 

Car owners in DC report significant car damage due to rodents. Try the $7,000 variety. Some car owners are so fed up that they have done one of two things..... 1) moved to a new home with enclosed parking, or 2) made it their life's mission to find rat deterrents to protect their car from further damage. Everything from wrapping car wires in sticky tape and hot pepper extract, to ultrasound waves, peppermint oil, owl decoys, and even electrified tiles under the car hood. There is even a man in San Diego, CA who started his own website: https://www.howtopreventratsfromeatingcarwires.com/.

All I know is I am very tired of seeing rats taking over our city. Of course Sunny LOVES it, and enjoys his evening walks, because he is focused on the art of the rat hunt! Not something we taught him. He is either naturally like this given he is a herding dog, or was taught to do this by his previous owner. Either case, my joke is the DC rat patrol teams could use Sunny! He is better at finding and locating rats than Orkin!

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