Spring 2006 - Arkansas Children's Hospital

PATIENTS AND FAMILIES WE HAVE KNOWN
CMN Champion Child Takes
‘Greatest Trip’ of Her Life
Mattie Medlock
When Mattison “Mattie” Medlock was 6 years old,
her mom found a lump on her back, followed by more
lumps under her arms. Her doctor in Atkins referred her
to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where she was diagnosed
with a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma
called anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
Mattie underwent a year of aggressive chemotherapy
treatments. Her mom, Dotie Medlock, says she remained
optimistic throughout her time at ACH.
“Mattie would be so sick from chemotherapy, throwing
up and with headaches, but if anyone asked her
how she was, she would always say, ‘good,’”says Dotie.
Russellville Wal-Mart
Sends Mattie Off in Style
Associates at Wal-Mart in
Russellville treated Arkansas
Champion Child Mattie
Medlock to a shopping spree
prior to her Champions Across
America trip. Mattie’s mom,
sister and associates followed
her all over the store as she
picked out some trip essentials
and not-so-essentials, including
the sunglasses she’s sporting
here. Mattie was a good
sister and included sister Marley in on the action,
making sure she also had things like a new suitcase
and some cool shades.
Mattie and her family enjoyed meeting
all the Champion families and making
new friends.An encounter on the first
day at the Atlanta airport brought the
Medlocks together with the Champion
family from Georgia. From left, Mattie
Medlock, Georgia Champion Sarah
Gwaltney and her sister, Anna, and
Marley Medlock.
When Mattie first started traveling to ACH for cancer treatments,
she and her family painted their van with the statement,
“My name is Mattie. I have cancer but it doesn’t have
me.” Now that her treatments are over, when Mattie goes in
for check-ups, the van reads, “I beat cancer, it didn’t beat me.”
While she was undergoing chemotherapy, Mattie even
entered and won first runner-up at a local beauty pageant. At
first, she didn’t want to enter because she had lost her hair,
but a few nights before the pageant she told her mom,
“Mama, I sure am beautiful even without hair.”
Mattie’s spirit and determination in facing her disease were
among the reasons she was chosen as the 2006 Children’s
Miracle Network (CMN) Champion Child to represent
Arkansas.
Champions are selected by children’s hospitals affiliated
with Children’s Miracle Network to act as ambassadors for
children’s health care. They represent the millions of other
children treated annually in children’s hospitals.
In March, Mattie and her family joined other Champions
from across the United States and Canada on a trip to Walt
Disney World, where they participated in the taping of the
2006 Children’s Miracle Network Celebration. The Champions
and their families then traveled to Washington, D.C., to tour
the nation’s capitol and meet with national leaders, including
President Bush.
Champions Across America is sponsored by Foresters, a
financial services organization.
Following are photos taken by Mattie’s family and excerpts
from her journal. Each day, Mattie recorded what she did, who
she met and her favorite part about the day, in her own
words.
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