Mattie Stepanek
Encyclopedia
Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek (July 17, 1990 – June 22, 2004), known as Mattie Stepanek, was an American
poet
, who had six books of poetry and one book of essays all reach The New York Times
bestsellers list. He became a peace advocate and motivational speaker, and lobbied on Capitol Hill on behalf of peace, people with disabilities, and children with life-threatening conditions.
Stepanek suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy
, dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy that resulted in his death a month before his 14th birthday. His sister and two brothers also died from the disease during early childhood, and his mother has the adult form, diagnosed only after all four of her children were born.
Celebrate Through Heartsongs and Loving Through Heartsongs. All five works made the New York Times bestsellers list. He wrote that a "'Heartsong' is a person's special gift to be shared with others... or a person's 'reason for being.'" Two additional books were published posthumously; both also were New York Times bestsellers. One is Reflections of a Peacemaker (Mattie Stepanek's final collection of poetry), and the other is Just Peace: A Message of Hope (a collection of Mattie's peace essays and e-mail correspondence with Former President Jimmy Carter). In 2007, Just Peace was awarded the IPPY Gold Medal for Peacemaker Book of the Year. .
In 2002, Stepanek began a three-term appointment as the Muscular Dystrophy Association
National Goodwill Ambassador, due to his national high profile because of his poetry and related appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show
, Larry King Live
, and Good Morning America
. In 2003, Billy Gilman
- singer and friend of Mattie's - released an album called Music Through Heartsongs: Songs Based on the Poems of Mattie J.T. Stepanek. The album reached number 15 on the U.S. Top Country chart and number 109 on the US Billboard 200. Stepanek can be heard reciting his poetry on several tracks.
in Washington, D.C.
, on Tuesday, June 22, 2004, three weeks before his 14th birthday. His funeral was held on June 28, 2004, at Saint Catherine Laboure Roman Catholic Church
in Wheaton, Maryland
. Nearly 1,350 people attended, including Oprah Winfrey
and country singer Billy Gilman
. A eulogy
was delivered by former President Jimmy Carter
, who said
, established the volunteer-run, non-profit Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation with the mission of making Mattie's message accessible to everyone. One of the primary goals of the Foundation is to create curricula programs to support teachers in helping students of all ages understand Mattie's concept of Heartsongs, and embrace his "Three Choices for Peace". Thousands of people have joined the Foundation as members of "Mattie's Peace Network" and in support of the "Pathways to Peace" programs. In 2011, the Foundation launched a "For Our World Campaign" to have Mattie's 9/11 poetry translated into languages for people around the world. Mattie's poem has been translated into dozens of languages now, from Albanian to Zulu.
In 2005 a two-room "Peace is Possible" exhibit dedication to Mattie's message of hope and peace was opened at the Children's Peace Pavilion in Independence, Missouri
. The Pavilion offers a membership program called Peace Champions inspired by his work. Also in 2005, Madison Cross, a good friend of Stepanek, wrote and recorded a song dedicated to him entitled "He Was Just Like Me". The Rosalynn Carter Institute set up the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Intergenerational Caregiving Scholarship, which is given to four individuals each year.
In 2008 the We Are Family Foundation
hosted the first annual international Three Dot Dash "Just Peace Summit" based on the message Mattie offered in his book "Just Peace". Thus far, more than 4 million people worldwide have been directly and positively impacted by the peace projects created by the Global Teen Leaders who have participated in the Just Peace Summit (see www.threedotdash.org for more information). The We Are Family Foundation also annually awards the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Award to an individual who has used their talents and gifts to meet the basic needs of others and promote peace. Recipients who have accepted this honor include Maya Angelou, Quincy Jones, Paul Simon, Deepak Chopra, Desmond and Leah Tutu, and Pastor James Wuye and Imam Mohammad Ashafa (aka Nigeria's "The Imam and The Pastor" peacemaker team).
On October 18, 2008, the 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) Mattie J.T Stepanek Park in Rockville, Maryland
, was dedicated. Thousands of people attended that event, including Oprah Winfrey
, Nile Rodgers
, Billy Gilman
, politicians, and others. Pepper Choplin set words from Mattie's final peace speech to music, and a 100-voice choir performed the debut of "Look Up Way Down". Central to the park is the "Peace Garden", which was designed based on the peace imagery Mattie used in his essay book, Just Peace: A Message of Hope. In the Peace Garden there is a life-size bronze statue of Mattie and his service dog, Micah, surrounded by chess tables. Throughout the park are quotes and soundbites from Stepanek. Twice a year, new bricks are added to the 'mosaic of gifts' walkways and concentric circles of support in the Peace Garden; these bricks represent sponsors from more than 20 countries.
In 2007 the mayor of Carlstadt proclaimed May 22 to be Mattie Stepanek Day, with flags to be flown at half-mast in honor of Mattie's quest for peace. On the same day, the Peace Library in honor of Stepanek was dedicated by the Carlstadt school board. In June 2009 the citizens of Carlstadt, New Jersey
, dedicated their own "Peace Park, in honor of Mattie J.T. Stepanek". Since 2001, children in Carlstadt have begun studying Mattie's poetry and writings in sixth grade.
On November 3, 2009, Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs was released. The book, written about Mattie by his mother, Jeni, has a foreword by Maya Angelou
. The books tells her son's life story, including many details of Mattie's life at home with his mother. Concurrent with the book release (which was also released in audio format, read by Mattie's mom, with Maya Angelou and Mattie's voices as well), the five books of poetry that Mattie audio-recorded prior to his death were re-released in a collection of CDs called "Heartsongs Collection: The Poetry of Mattie J. T. Stepanek" [AUDIOBOOK]
On June 6, 2010, the world premiere of "Heartsongs" took place at Carnegie Hall, NY, featuring Mattie's message and poetry set to music by composer Joseph Martin, and performed by a 200 voice combined Children's Choir (many of them from Houston and one, the Mississippi Girl Choir, from Jackson, MS) and other members of the Distinguished Concerts Singers International under the direction of conductor Stephen Roddy. The event was such an overwhelming success that a CD with the music is being created.
In 2010 the citizens of Lapeer, Michigan
celebrateed their fifth annual "World Trade Day" on September 11. (Mattie Stepanek described his vision for "World Trade Day" in his book "Just Peace", as a way of commemorating the tragic events of 9/11 while moving forward.)
In 2011 Oprah Winfrey named Mattie as one of her all time most memorable guests in the 25 year history of her show. During the final studio audience taping, Mattie's mom and Oprah shared memories of Mattie, discussed his life story in the "Messenger" book, and Oprah called him "a messenger for our times." Both during the show and in her June, 2011, "O The Magazine," Oprah shared that Mattie was the singular force who changed her mind about ending her program at 20 years. Mattie encouraged her to go 'five more years' for a number of reasons, a decision she considered, made, and has 'never regretted.'
, a governor of the We Are Family Foundation
, and as executive director of the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, who had six books of poetry and one book of essays all reach The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
bestsellers list. He became a peace advocate and motivational speaker, and lobbied on Capitol Hill on behalf of peace, people with disabilities, and children with life-threatening conditions.
Stepanek suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...
, dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy that resulted in his death a month before his 14th birthday. His sister and two brothers also died from the disease during early childhood, and his mother has the adult form, diagnosed only after all four of her children were born.
Life
At the age of three, Stepanek started to write poetry to cope with the death of his older brother. His first five books are: Heartsongs, Journey Through Heartsongs, Hope Through Heartsongs,Celebrate Through Heartsongs and Loving Through Heartsongs. All five works made the New York Times bestsellers list. He wrote that a "'Heartsong' is a person's special gift to be shared with others... or a person's 'reason for being.'" Two additional books were published posthumously; both also were New York Times bestsellers. One is Reflections of a Peacemaker (Mattie Stepanek's final collection of poetry), and the other is Just Peace: A Message of Hope (a collection of Mattie's peace essays and e-mail correspondence with Former President Jimmy Carter). In 2007, Just Peace was awarded the IPPY Gold Medal for Peacemaker Book of the Year. .
In 2002, Stepanek began a three-term appointment as the Muscular Dystrophy Association
Muscular Dystrophy Association
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is an American organization which combats muscular dystrophy and diseases of the nervous system and muscular system in general by funding research, providing medical and community services, and educating health professionals and the general public...
National Goodwill Ambassador, due to his national high profile because of his poetry and related appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, and Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. In 2003, Billy Gilman
Billy Gilman
William Wendell "Billy" Gilman III is an American country music artist. In 2000, at the age of 12, he debuted with the single "One Voice," a Top 20 hit on the Billboard country music charts and became the youngest singer to a Top 40 hit on the country music charts...
- singer and friend of Mattie's - released an album called Music Through Heartsongs: Songs Based on the Poems of Mattie J.T. Stepanek. The album reached number 15 on the U.S. Top Country chart and number 109 on the US Billboard 200. Stepanek can be heard reciting his poetry on several tracks.
Death
Mattie Stepanek died at Children's National Medical CenterChildren's National Medical Center
- Introduction :Children’s National Medical Center , is the only exclusive provider of pediatric care in the Washington, D.C., area and the only freestanding children’s hospital between Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Norfolk, and Atlanta...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, on Tuesday, June 22, 2004, three weeks before his 14th birthday. His funeral was held on June 28, 2004, at Saint Catherine Laboure Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Wheaton, Maryland
Wheaton, Maryland
Wheaton is an unincorporated, urbanized area in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, north of Washington, D.C., northwest of Silver Spring. Wheaton takes its name from Frank Wheaton , a career officer in the United States Army and volunteer from Rhode Island in the Union Army who rose to the rank of...
. Nearly 1,350 people attended, including Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
and country singer Billy Gilman
Billy Gilman
William Wendell "Billy" Gilman III is an American country music artist. In 2000, at the age of 12, he debuted with the single "One Voice," a Top 20 hit on the Billboard country music charts and became the youngest singer to a Top 40 hit on the country music charts...
. A eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
was delivered by former President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, who said
We have known kings and queens, and we've known presidents and prime ministers, but the most extraordinary person whom I have ever known in my life is Mattie Stepanek. His life philosophy was 'Remember to play after every storm!' and his motto was: 'Think Gently, Speak Gently, Live Gently'. He wanted to be remembered as "a poet, a peacemaker, and a philosopher who played".
Legacy
Shortly after Mattie's death, citizens in his King Farm neighborhood of Rockville, MarylandRockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
, established the volunteer-run, non-profit Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation with the mission of making Mattie's message accessible to everyone. One of the primary goals of the Foundation is to create curricula programs to support teachers in helping students of all ages understand Mattie's concept of Heartsongs, and embrace his "Three Choices for Peace". Thousands of people have joined the Foundation as members of "Mattie's Peace Network" and in support of the "Pathways to Peace" programs. In 2011, the Foundation launched a "For Our World Campaign" to have Mattie's 9/11 poetry translated into languages for people around the world. Mattie's poem has been translated into dozens of languages now, from Albanian to Zulu.
In 2005 a two-room "Peace is Possible" exhibit dedication to Mattie's message of hope and peace was opened at the Children's Peace Pavilion in Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
. The Pavilion offers a membership program called Peace Champions inspired by his work. Also in 2005, Madison Cross, a good friend of Stepanek, wrote and recorded a song dedicated to him entitled "He Was Just Like Me". The Rosalynn Carter Institute set up the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Intergenerational Caregiving Scholarship, which is given to four individuals each year.
In 2008 the We Are Family Foundation
We Are Family Foundation
The We Are Family Foundation is an American 501 nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by songwriter, musician, and producer Nile Rodgers in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks...
hosted the first annual international Three Dot Dash "Just Peace Summit" based on the message Mattie offered in his book "Just Peace". Thus far, more than 4 million people worldwide have been directly and positively impacted by the peace projects created by the Global Teen Leaders who have participated in the Just Peace Summit (see www.threedotdash.org for more information). The We Are Family Foundation also annually awards the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Award to an individual who has used their talents and gifts to meet the basic needs of others and promote peace. Recipients who have accepted this honor include Maya Angelou, Quincy Jones, Paul Simon, Deepak Chopra, Desmond and Leah Tutu, and Pastor James Wuye and Imam Mohammad Ashafa (aka Nigeria's "The Imam and The Pastor" peacemaker team).
On October 18, 2008, the 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) Mattie J.T Stepanek Park in Rockville, Maryland
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
, was dedicated. Thousands of people attended that event, including Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
, Billy Gilman
Billy Gilman
William Wendell "Billy" Gilman III is an American country music artist. In 2000, at the age of 12, he debuted with the single "One Voice," a Top 20 hit on the Billboard country music charts and became the youngest singer to a Top 40 hit on the country music charts...
, politicians, and others. Pepper Choplin set words from Mattie's final peace speech to music, and a 100-voice choir performed the debut of "Look Up Way Down". Central to the park is the "Peace Garden", which was designed based on the peace imagery Mattie used in his essay book, Just Peace: A Message of Hope. In the Peace Garden there is a life-size bronze statue of Mattie and his service dog, Micah, surrounded by chess tables. Throughout the park are quotes and soundbites from Stepanek. Twice a year, new bricks are added to the 'mosaic of gifts' walkways and concentric circles of support in the Peace Garden; these bricks represent sponsors from more than 20 countries.
In 2007 the mayor of Carlstadt proclaimed May 22 to be Mattie Stepanek Day, with flags to be flown at half-mast in honor of Mattie's quest for peace. On the same day, the Peace Library in honor of Stepanek was dedicated by the Carlstadt school board. In June 2009 the citizens of Carlstadt, New Jersey
Carlstadt, New Jersey
Carlstadt is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,127.Carlstadt was originally formed as a village by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 12, 1860, within Lodi Township. It was named after Dr...
, dedicated their own "Peace Park, in honor of Mattie J.T. Stepanek". Since 2001, children in Carlstadt have begun studying Mattie's poetry and writings in sixth grade.
On November 3, 2009, Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs was released. The book, written about Mattie by his mother, Jeni, has a foreword by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly...
. The books tells her son's life story, including many details of Mattie's life at home with his mother. Concurrent with the book release (which was also released in audio format, read by Mattie's mom, with Maya Angelou and Mattie's voices as well), the five books of poetry that Mattie audio-recorded prior to his death were re-released in a collection of CDs called "Heartsongs Collection: The Poetry of Mattie J. T. Stepanek" [AUDIOBOOK]
On June 6, 2010, the world premiere of "Heartsongs" took place at Carnegie Hall, NY, featuring Mattie's message and poetry set to music by composer Joseph Martin, and performed by a 200 voice combined Children's Choir (many of them from Houston and one, the Mississippi Girl Choir, from Jackson, MS) and other members of the Distinguished Concerts Singers International under the direction of conductor Stephen Roddy. The event was such an overwhelming success that a CD with the music is being created.
In 2010 the citizens of Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer, Michigan
Lapeer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporated from land that was formerly in Lapeer Township, though portions were also annexed from Mayfield Township and Elba...
celebrateed their fifth annual "World Trade Day" on September 11. (Mattie Stepanek described his vision for "World Trade Day" in his book "Just Peace", as a way of commemorating the tragic events of 9/11 while moving forward.)
In 2011 Oprah Winfrey named Mattie as one of her all time most memorable guests in the 25 year history of her show. During the final studio audience taping, Mattie's mom and Oprah shared memories of Mattie, discussed his life story in the "Messenger" book, and Oprah called him "a messenger for our times." Both during the show and in her June, 2011, "O The Magazine," Oprah shared that Mattie was the singular force who changed her mind about ending her program at 20 years. Mattie encouraged her to go 'five more years' for a number of reasons, a decision she considered, made, and has 'never regretted.'
Jeni Stepanek
Jeni Stepanek, Mattie's mother, continues to work as a motivational speaker, writer, advocate and consultant. She serves as a national vice president for the Muscular Dystrophy AssociationMuscular Dystrophy Association
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is an American organization which combats muscular dystrophy and diseases of the nervous system and muscular system in general by funding research, providing medical and community services, and educating health professionals and the general public...
, a governor of the We Are Family Foundation
We Are Family Foundation
The We Are Family Foundation is an American 501 nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by songwriter, musician, and producer Nile Rodgers in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks...
, and as executive director of the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation.