Mattie Stepanek dies at 13 (Child poet succumbs to muscular dystrophy)

[happynewyear]

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Mattie Stepanek, the child poet whose inspirational verse made him a best-selling writer and a prominent voice for muscular dystrophy sufferers, died Tuesday of a rare form of the disease. He was 13.

Stepanek died at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the hospital said. He had been hospitalized since early March for complications related to the disease that impaired most of his body’s functions.

In his short life, the tireless Stepanek wrote five volumes of poetry that sold millions of copies. Three of the volumes reached the New York Times’ best-seller list.

<snip>

Despite his condition, Stepanek was upbeat, saying he didn’t fear death. His work was full of life, a quest for peace, hope and the inner voice he called a “heartsong.”

“It’s our inner beauty, our message, the songs in our hearts,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press in November 2001. “My life mission is to spread peace to the world.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5272180/



I cannot help but wonder if stem cell treatment might have helped this boy if it were refined and available. I find this to be incredibly sad, for we have lost a future peacemaker in our world. :(

[Killarney]

1. Did Mattie ever get to meet Jimmy Carter?

I know Carter was his hero. That would be nice if he had a chance to meet him before he passed. Anyone know?

[Lavender Brown]

2. Yes

There is a photo in this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1312207

Rest in peace, Mattie!

[shawmut]

3. Yes he did

On Good Morning America.

[Killarney]

4. Oh, tears.

I found it. He did meet with Carter. Here's info on oprah's site:
http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_past_20011019_b.jhtml

What a remarkable boy.

[riverwalker]

5. His hero was Jimmy Carter

and said meeting him was one the highlights of his life.
What a loss for all of us.

[TNOE]

6. I was so sad when I heard this

last night - Larry King ran an old program of him. This was one very special "old" soul - so full of wisdom at such a young age. They called him the "peacemaker" and I thought I hoped his death was not ominous.... the peacemaker dies as does the peace?

[RubyDuby in GA]

7. Brought tears to my eyes

I caught a little bit of an interview that he did with Larry King several months ago and it made me bawl like a baby.
Mattie was so wise beyond his years and so full of love and life. The world will certainly be a darker place without him.

[OneBlueSky]

8. here's a nice MDA tribute to Mattie . . .

http://www.mdausa.org/mattie/remember.cfm

[Gloria]

9. This morning, I was sitting in a waiting room

and the TV was on ABC (mercifully, not FAUX, which most seem to be) and they had a story on Mattie.

Well, there was not a dry eye in the house. People were wiping there eyes, they were so moved.

I had seen the Larry King tribute and thought I was done last night...but the tears came again.

And the guy on Good Morning America who had inteviewed him...well, he was talking and you could see, he was fighting back a full blown sob session. His eyes were swimming and his voice was just shy of breaking....

Mattie, we're all thinking of you....

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. What an amazing person. My heart goes out to his family.