"Messenger": Book About Mattie Stepanek To Be Released Tomorrow

by Yuliya Talmazan | November 2, 2009 at 11:19 am

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Mattie Stepanek, a young poet and humanitarian who died at the age of 13 from dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy five years ago, managed to accomplish a lot in his short life. He touched the hearts of thousands around the world, when despite his difficult health condition, he managed to maintain a high public profile, speaking about the importance of world peace and other worthy causes. Over his short life, Stepanek published six bestseller poetry books and one book of essays. Now, a book about Mattie himself written by his mother and titled "Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs" will be released on November 3. In the book, Stepanek's mother describes her son's life and legacies. Jeni Stepanek suffers from the adult version of the disease that all four of her children died from.

Jeni Stepanek continues 'to celebrate and carry the torch of her son's light,' weaving his message into her own message and work. She is a motivational speaker, writer, advocate and consultant. She serves as a National Vice President for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, a Governor for the We Are Family Foundation, and as Chair of the Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation.