Mattie Stepanek: Child Poet passes away

[wolf paws]

The Associated Press
Updated: 4:32 p.m. ET June 23, 2004ANNAPOLIS, 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.

“Mattie was something special, something very special,” entertainer Jerry Lewis, who chairs the Muscular Dystrophy Association, said in a statement. “His example made people want to reach for the best within themselves.”

Stepanek, of Rockville, had dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy, a genetic disease that impaired his heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and digestion, and caused muscle weakness.

His mother, Jeni, 44, has the adult-onset form of the disease, and his three older siblings died of it in early childhood.

Began writing at 3
Stepanek began writing poetry at age 3 to cope with the death of a brother. In 2001, a small publisher issued a slim volume of his poems, called “Heartsongs.” Within weeks, the book reached the top of the Times’ best-seller list, the MDA said.

He wrote four other books: “Journey Through Heartsongs,” “Hope Through Heartsongs,” “Celebrate Through Heartsongs” and “Loving Through Heartsongs.”

His poems brought him admirers including Oprah Winfrey and former President Carter and made him one of the best-selling poets in recent years.

Stepanek was hospitalized many times over the years. He rolled around his home in a wheelchair he nicknamed “Slick,” and relied on a feeding tube, a ventilator and frequent blood transfusions to stay alive.

In the summer of 2001, Stepanek nearly died from uncontrollable bleeding in his throat and spent five months at Children’s National. When it seemed he would not survive, the hospital got in touch with a Virginia publisher on his behalf.

Stepanek and his mother had sent the book to dozens of New York publishers, all of whom rejected it, according to Peter Barnes of VSP Publishers. Barnes said he was caught off guard when he read the work.

“I was stunned. Some of it was really good,” he said Tuesday. “It was very perceptive and thoughtful.”

Didn't fear death
VSP Books printed 200 copies of “Heartsongs” to be handed out to friends. But after a news conference publicizing the book, interest exploded. “Heartsongs” went on to sell more than 500,000 copies.

“Mattie rallied after that,” Barnes said. “He went from being on his death bed to becoming this huge publishing success.”

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.”

He is survived by his mother.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


I've seen him on TV on Larry King Live, and he's a cute boy , who had awesome stories to share, and lived life to his fullest. I'm sad about his passing, but will think about him often. Although, I've never read his poems, I've heard some of them when he was on Larry King Live. I plan to purchase a book of his when I get the money, and found out for myself how great of a poet he was.

[wolf paws]

Yeah he was. I'm amaxed he started writing at age 3, and that he accomplished something he loved to do, that's amazing!

[TheHappyBurgerMeister]

I remember seeing him on Oprah several times. Oprah really loved him, she must be so sad. On Larry King last night they had an old show of him on there that they aired in memory of him. He said:

"I want to live to be 101 or later."

[EricIdlefan]

He is in heaven even writing more poetry than he has ever did in his lifetime or better yet, our lifetime combined ever.

[Kristen]

I heard about his passing last night. I'm not much of a poetry person, but I'd seen him on Larry King a few times, and was always impressed at how well-spoken he was for his age. He definitely was a special kid, and will be missed.

[*Pleasant Tomorrow*]

I think I've seen him on TV before. Sad that he has to die so young.

[Chocoholic]

How sad. He and Samantha Smith are two kids who really needed to live a lot longer.

[david&maddie4ever]

That's so sad! I've read some of his poetry, and he was really good.

[dandelion wine]

He really was someone special, who certainly deserved to be here much, much longer. A friend passed on a book of his poems, and they're beautiful. I'd seen him on Oprah, the Today Show and Good Morning America... I'm sad to hear that he's gone.

[Charlie Max]

This sad and tragic situation only reinforces what they say; only the good die young. This little kid might have been small, but he was great in heart and a genius in mind. He touched a lot of people’s lives and made a lot of people’s day a bit brighter. He left this world with his spirit pure and untouched by the evil that exists in this world.

From what I have read, most of the time he was in pain because of the disease he suffered from, so now, he is pain free. Maybe God decided to take him away so that his pure, innocent heart wouldn’t be tarnished by the badness and temptations of growing up. He only lived 13 years on this earth, but what he left behind will last an eternity.

What ever the case might be; may Mathew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek rest in peace.

About Happiness

To me,
Happiness is traveling.
Not really “me” traveling,
But my Heartsongs traveling.
When the songs in my heart
Travel out and around the world
In the things that I say and
In the poems and stories that I write
And in the prayers that I feel to God,
And when the letters and words
Of those Heartsongs bring some
Peace to the countries and people
Who have war in their lives,
That is real happiness
To me.

--Mattie J.T Stepanek


Mattie Stepaneck's Personal Website