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

June 23, 2020

Monday, June 22, 2020

Monday, June 22, 2020

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2007. Mattie could see these cute bicycles outside our hotel window and he wanted to try it. So we rented one, maybe for an hour! That was MORE than enough for me. My dad snapped this photo before we started pedaling, which was why I was smiling. I can't tell you how difficult it was to get this bicycle to move. It is the front two riders who do all the work, and all I can say is wow! I am not sure what Mattie loved more.... the ride, or hearing my commentary about pedaling.






Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins
  • number of people diagnosed with the virus: 2,310,786
  • number of people who died from the virus: 120,402



Peter was up at 5am again today. He left the hotel and got to my parents house. He met the movers this morning at 8am. Two trucks and six movers. They were incredible and worked like the wind. They literally moved my parents furniture from one house to another in 6 hours! The houses are thirty minutes apart, so truly it was a feat. 

The movers told Peter and I that we did the hard work (breakables, some pieces of furniture, etc) and saved my parents thousands of dollars. 

I moved my parents in 2018, so I feel like I am an expert on how to effectively and efficiently manage a local move. The key is NOT to use boxes. Boxes are a killer because once you pack and unpack them, then you need to break them down and dispose of them! I much prefer using plastic bins. Pack them, unpack them, and then USE the same bins for the next load!

Peter was so impressed with how quickly the movers were getting things wrapped and onto the moving trucks this morning. Literally they had my parents house totally pack and on the truck in 2.5 hours!
This used to be my dad's home office. I showed him this photo today and he had no idea what he was looking at! The cognitive decline in my dad is disheartening! Especially since I saw him in December and he wasn't as profoundly impacted then. I blame the lock down associated with coronavirus. It has had a devastating effect on him, as he wasn't able to leave the house for over three months. Going out every day for lunch (pre-covid-19) was stimulating and normalizing for him. When he was prevented from doing this, he lost his consistent schedule, his social world, and in the process his dementia took over. 
An empty kitchen and family room!
When the 6 guys got to the new house, Peter treated them to lunch. I think they had a great time outside and I am so happy Peter thought to do this! These guys were awesome, moved quickly, diligently and got the job done in one day! 

Peter and I will be digging out over the next couple of days. If this was all we were doing, it would be manageable. But my dad has doctor appointments, in home therapy, and we have to figure out getting support for my mom when I am not around.

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