Young Poet, Peacemaker Gone at 13

ByABC News via logo
September 3, 2004, 3:19 PM

Sept. 5, 2004 -- He was the little boy who meant so much to so many. The unlikely peacemaker who, through his best-selling poetry, showed the world what it really means to find triumph in every tragedy, even one's own.

In his 13 years, Mattie Stepanek became nationally known as a "peacemaker and poet" whose story of living with a rare neuromuscular disorder led to five published books, numerous television appearances and a friendship with former President Jimmy Carter.

The champion for muscular dystrophy sufferers lost his fight with mitochondrial myopathy this past June while surrounded by his mother and close friends.

A poet since the age of 3, Mattie started writing in part to help him deal with his disease, which causes generalized muscle weakness and difficulty in regulating such body functions as heart rate and breathing. He used a power wheelchair, ventilator and supplemental oxygen, in addition to other treatments.

His mother, Jeni Stepanek, has a milder, adult-onset form of the disease, but was not diagnosed until her four children were born. Mattie's two brothers and a sister also died of the disease.

The Power of Love

Mattie's best-selling poetry books celebrate the power of love and peace. "This one explores loving life, loving people, loving God, loving peace," Mattie told ABC News' Good Morning America in March 2003 when Loving Through Heartsongs was published.

He also sent President Bush a poem before the war in Iraq, asking him to seek peace. It read in part, "We cannot get caught with a bad attitude or we are not choosing peace."

Mattie's work and life experiences captivated the national media, with television appearances on such programs as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, Today, The Early Show and C-SPAN's Book TV.