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

January 12, 2022

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Tonight's picture was taken on January 22, 2009. Mattie was the photographer and he captured the excitement of all of us in his room. Going counter clockwise was me, Jenny (Mattie's art therapist), Jessie (Mattie's art therapist), Linda (Mattie's child life specialist) and Anna (Mattie's physical therapist). Each of these women were incredible and I can't imagine managing through childhood cancer without them. They helped make the long and arduous days in the hospital bearable. In typical fashion there were more things on Mattie's bed than one could imagine. But one thing was for sure, the one thing typically not in Mattie's bed was Mattie!



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

  • Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 62,727,044
  • Number of people who died from the virus: 843,624


Sometimes I wonder..... what haven't I done today?! Today was one of those days. It started with calling to get my mom an ultrasound and cardiologist appointment. The cardiology office was a riot. The first available appointment was the end of March! I told them.... NO I don't think so. So now we are seeing the doctor on February 8th! I honestly do not know what some patients do without an advocate. 

After the calls, I made breakfast, cleaned out the cat's litterbox, got my dad up, showered and dressed. I changed my parent's bed and did three loads of laundry, and the list goes on. I did occupational therapy and cognitive exercises with my dad. Then I vacuumed the second floor of the house and dusted. I wish I could say it ended there, but it did not. Literally from the moment I wake up until I go to sleep, I am moving. Constantly. 

With all this activity, I find I have no energy or interest in doing anything else. That sometimes includes responding to emails, phone messages, and forget about Foundation work. Each day I say to myself..... I will carve time to do X or Y or Z today. But then another day goes by and poof, it is over. I did complete all 70 acknowledgments for the Foundation's annual drive fundraiser, which felt like a feat. But I was determined. All I can say is I don't need more pressure. So I take it one day at a time and try not to get down on my inability to complete work like I once did. 


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