jeni stepanekJeni Stepanek, this boy is a miracle guaranteed to put several pieces in the minds of readers - whether they have heard the name before Mattie. Thanks to author Larry Lindner, Štěpánek documented much of their son's life messenger pages and the legacy of Mattie JT Štěpánek Heartsongs. "
Mattie Stepanek lived a full and dynamic life despite having a rare form of muscular dystrophy called dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy. He wrote and published several collections of poetry that made the bestsellers list and campaigned tirelessly for peace. Of his many accomplishments, perhaps the most impressive was Mattie's determination to live to the fullest, even in the face of tremendous challenges. His mother heartwarmingly illustrates with a photograph of Mattie being thrown high into the air and into a swimming pool, his oxygen tube trailing behind.
Mattie has a somewhat high-profile relationship with public figures, including Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Carter and Maya Angelou, who wrote to "Messenger". He died of the disease in 2004, shortly before his 14th birthday.
