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

August 27, 2021

Friday, August 27, 2021

Friday, August 27, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2005. Mattie was three years old and the stool that he was standing one, was made by hand. Peter and Mattie built this John Deere tractor stool together. Mattie loved all vehicles, and needed a stool to reach the sink in the bathroom. Mattie was the kind of child who was going to do things when he was ready. Not on a pediatrician derived milestone check list. To inspire Mattie with potty training and becoming more independent in the bathroom, the stool was an incentive. It actually worked well and once Mattie was ready, he caught onto potty training quickly. On an aside, this stool is so well made that I continue to use it to reach things in my clothes closet.


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

  • Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 38,500,016
  • Number of people who died from the virus: 634,438


Last night Peter and I were sitting on the couch and Sunny joined us. This is very rare, as he's not a couch person. In any case, he is slowly adjusting to his new environment. 

Thankfully I slept last night! Being in my own bed helped a lot as did having air conditioning. I got up at 6:30am, as we had the plumber coming. The previous plumber we had wasn't a good match for us, and never completed the work. Today's plumber will be working with us and is lovely and competent. I have no idea what the former owner was thinking but with this big backyard, there is NO hose bib! Making it impossible to water the garden. We are fixing this issue! 

It is very difficult unpacking when managing workmen and jumping from one issue or question to another. I started the morning by cleaning off the driveway and garage. They were both filled with red clay/mud from when the electric company was here and dug up lines. It made no sense cleaning inside, because as soon as you walked outside, and stepped back in, mud got everywhere. Along with plaster dust footprints.... which are my nemesis right now. 
This afternoon, we had a terrible rain and thunder storm. That sends Sunny right into my parent's closet. Apparently Sunny deems this as the safest or most quiet place in the house. 
While juggling the plumber, I began cleaning out the built in shelves in the office. Each was filthy! Grime from the previous owner as well as plaster dust lining each shelf. It was a big mess. I have decided to use most of these shelves to highlight Mattie Miracle and Mattie. 
The Lego dome is from Mattie's Taj Mahal that he built with Peter, during treatment. It was a huge structure. About two years ago, I broke it down and only kept the dome. Next to the Taj, is a memory box I made with one of our Walk logos. The heart painting was given to me by Mattie on Valentine's Day. It says Love Mommy." On the bottom shelf I received a tulip orange candle from a psychologist in the Netherlands. She is a Mattie Miracle fan and wanted me to have this. 

When Mattie died, we created an obituary. The Washington Post actually sent us the plaque of the obituary that you see on the lower shelf.

Today we brought Indie to the new house. We boarded her with the vet since Tuesday. We felt this was the best thing to do with her, so that we wouldn't lose her when the movers left the doors open. I learned from our hospital days with Mattie... no one reads signs. So I did not feel comfortable leaving Indie in a room with a sign on the door telling movers not to open the door. 

Meanwhile, we ordered a big cat tree for Indie. We wanted her to have a nice surprise awaiting her. We knew she would like it, because she had smaller versions of this at the townhouse. Indie gravitated to it immediately and began looking out the windows in Peter's office. 

The queen of the office!



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