Mattie’s great-grandfather, “Papa”, passed away this past weekend. He was an integral part of my life and Mattie’s life. When I was on hospital bed rest with Mattie, he would come visit me everyday. Some days he would sit by my bed rubbing my back. Other days he would wheel me down to the garden for fresh air. He would always call first to see if I needed anything. He did this for almost 2 months straight, never missing a day.

When Mattie was born, he would tell me that she was perfect and she was going to be just fine. When Mattie was diagnosed with CP, he uttered those same words. Every time I called his house, the first thing he would ask me was how Mattie was. Every time he came to my house, he would come with a huge pocket full of change to put in her piggy bank. This is for Mattie, he would say. A few weeks ago I was visiting him in the hospital and he told me again “she will walk one day, I know its taking a while, but she will walk one day. She is perfect.” The day Mattie finally takes her first steps; I will look up towards heaven and tell him… you were right. Que en Paz Descanse Papa ❤

I know I owe everyone a Mattie update. So much has been going on the past several months that I have not had time to keep up with everything. I promise an update in the coming weeks.