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

March 24, 2020

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Tuesday, March 24, 2020 -- Mattie died 547 weeks ago today.

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2009. Just by the activity, I can tell that it was a Friday. How do I know? Because the chemistry club came to visit every Friday and this photo shows that they came into  Mattie's room to conduct one of their fun experiments. Chris was the president of the club and he was GREAT with Mattie. Mattie LOVED when the university students came into the unit and truly looked forward to participating in the experiments. Since Mattie was isolated to his room, what you can't see were all the people in the room with us trying to keep Mattie busy, entertained, and engaged. Just an incredible support team. 

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins:

  1. 53,660 diagnosed with the virus
  2. 703 people who died from the virus


As we are all in the second week of the Coronavirus shutdown, I can't say isolation is getting any easier for us. Everything about social distancing and staying home, seems completely foreign to American citizens. It is not a way of life we are accustomed to. Which maybe why this reminds me of how Peter and I felt when Mattie was diagnosed. The intense change to one's way of life, the isolation, fear, and anxiety are all too reminiscent. 

I think I had reached a place today which seemed more stable, since I have been focused on the types of treatments available to combat this virus. Then I heard the story of Jack Allard. It is hard to believe that a perfectly healthy 25 year old, with no underlying health conditions, could be in critical condition from the virus. So much so that a coma was induced and he is being transported to a hospital in Pennsylvania that is more equipped to manage his care. It sounds like a parent's worse nightmare. From mismanaged testing for the virus to parents being separated from their child because of the contagion at hand. I can't imagine how these parents feel being isolated from their child. My thoughts go out to them, as I know they are forced to make life or death decisions for their son. 

Nothing about this makes sense to me. My two nephews went to Bates College, the same school Jack graduated from. Jack's story makes me pause because he is living proof that any one of us could contract this virus and like I know all too well already.............. life doesn't always go as scripted. So much about our health and future are out of our hands. 


Jack Allard ‘16 In Critical Condition During Battle With COVID-19:

https://thebatesstudent.com/2020/03/23/jack-allard-16-is-in-critical-condition-due-to-covid-19/



Meanwhile, the only constants in our lives are Indie and Sunny. Indie came to sit with us on the couch last night. Ironically she likes to watch TV and isn't picky about the content either. 
At some point today we went to the grocery store. Who knew going to the grocery store would be the highlight of the week. Needless to say, I am not thrilled going shopping since I can tell people around me are tense and I also never know what I am going to find on the shelves. Check out this aisle today.......... no paper products or cleaning products. 

I can safely say I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime. It makes a DC snowstorm seem like pocket change, as our area tends to have empty shelves with the threat of snow. But this takes things to a whole new level. We spoke with many of the people working in the store and they told us that as soon as they stock the shelves they get wiped out within hours. In fact, there were signs at the store's entrance as well as in the meat section telling customers that they were only allowed to buy two packages of chicken with each shopping visit. As people have been hoarding chicken. Not sure why beef, pork, and other meats aren't as sought after, but this was the state of affairs today. 

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