Mattie's Friends Share
Their Thoughts

Dear Jeni,

Your son was so special and inspiring. I have his books and I loved him so much. You must know how much he touched people, especially when he recited them in person. I cried when I heard of his passing. I really believed if he had lived longer, he could have made peace in this world. God Bless you.

Donna

Hello, My name is Toby and I am from Tunica, Mississippi. I am a volunteer fire fighter and an EMT; I first saw Mattie on the "Larry King Show." I became good friends with a fireman in the next county;, he was a great man. He too passed away from MD. The first time I saw Mattie my heart just completely fell. I felt so sorry for this cute, loveable kid that was so very brave and courageous. I have read some of his poems and I cry every time. I'm a twenty-nine-year-old man and this kid touches my heart so much that words can't describe. I just wish that I had half as much courage and bravery as precious Mattie did. I woke up this morning and got on the Internet to find out that Mattie had gone to be with Jesus. I started to cry and I went and woke my wife up to tell her what had happened; she to began to cry, but you know, Mattie wouldn't want us to cry, cause he's with Jesus, and he's not suffering from that dreadful sickness anymore. I just wish that a lot more people, including myself, could be more like MATTIE. Now Mattie can watch over us and he can still have that big wonderful smile as he always did. GOD BLESS MATTIE AND HIS MOTHER...

THANK YOU,
TOBY from Mississippi.

To Jeni and Micah.

We all are so much better to have known Mattie, even for such a brief time and at such a long distance.

Yet somehow, even though we were not in his immediate presence.. he made us feel as though we were in the same room, just drinking up his energy and basking in his light.

Mattie's light will never fade.

Thank you and God Bless and keep you Jen (and Micah too!)

Patti, in Oregon

I'm not a young person but a grandma of 14. Three of my four children and seven of my 14 grandchildren have the diagnosis of the same form of MD that Mattie and his siblings had and his Mom still has. We know how difficult it is to live day to day with this disorder. Never was I more proud of anyone than Mattie, who was a shining example to so many with such a beautiful gift for the world and so much wisdom. He will be sadly missed by many people, including justagram who grew to love him.

Sincere condolences to Jeni from a mom and a grandmother who lives with mito. Her courage and strength is also acknowledged but now her heart must be breaking. I am so sorry for your loss, Jeni. I sincerely pray that you have the strength to endure the coming days. I'm here if you need me.

Alice, mitochondrial myopathy patient

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Goodbye, Mattie. What a courageous child you were and what a loving mother you had. if all of us could be so lucky . . .

LROD

My son has MD and it is a daily struggle. Because of Mattie, my son now loves to write and tell stories and draw. Thanks for the inspiration. You are in our prayers.

AL

Mattie with Erin Kiernan

It is hard to understand why my heart hurts that Mattie is gone, but yet I smile through my tears...God Bless You, Mattie!!

Mike and Judy

I have a son who is 20 and has Duchenne. Every time I heard Mattie speak I loved him more. He was so wise beyond his years. We can carry on Mattie'smessage by the way we live our lives. He will be missed dearly. My prayersand thoughts go out to his mother.

Julie,
Odessa, Texas

The world is going to miss you Mattie, you are so special! I have never been moved by someone with such an engaging spirit, promoting peace and love and listening to your "heatsongs." I'm a married father of two boys, and every time I think of Mattie, his message to the world, his special spirit, I hug each member of my family just a little longer. When I read how he wrote in the poem "Heartsong" that his song, deep in his heart makes him feel happy...

"Happy like thinking about

Going to Heaven when I die....

My Heartsong sounds like this:

I love you! I love you!

How happy you can be!

How happy you can make

The whole world be! ...

It makes me think of

Jamie, and Katie and Stevie,

And other wonderful things.

This is my special song."

I knew that he has found peace. His spirit is in Heaven with his two brothers and sister. God bless you Mattie. God bless Jeni and please watch over her in her time of sorrow.

Mike

Hey there, my name is Nat and I'm e-mailing from New Zealand.

Just wanna say something quick. God bless you, Mattie Stepanek, may the lord always be with you. He's a heart touching kid, that little dude. Arohanui (Love you) Kia kaha! (Be strong)

Best regards...
Nat.

Mattie was a gift from God - to his family, to Jerry, to all that crossed his path, to the world. He had courage, and talent and smiles that lit up the darkest heart. Seeing him on TV, and reading his books, has left an impression on my soul that will last a lifetime. I lost my son to lymophoma three years ago. I'm asking Mattie to give my Danny a hug from me. May their spirits continue on in perfect happiness and peace for eternity.

Arlene from N.J.

Mattie was special and I will never forget him because he made everyone feel like a winner every day. He never lost his faith in life. He was and is a special guy. I wish his family the strength to go on.

Menno

I was deepley saddened last evening when I heard that this wonderful child had passed away. He truly was and is an inspiration to all of us. In a world where there is so much chaos, unrest, and sadness, I found him to be a "shining light." I did not know him in person, but truly feel blessed to have come in contact with a person such as he. We are given gifts in our lives; I know that Mattie Stepanek was one of my best! My thoughts go out to his mother, for her courage, strength, and ongoing optimism for her child.

Deborah

Jeni Stephanek must be a very special lady to have raised such an incredibly beautiful child as Mattie. It seems she has suffered more loss than any mother should have to endure. To have lost three children and to have raised Mattie with such a beautiful dream of hope and peace, she must indeed have a beautiful spirit. God has blessed her and will watch over her as will her four little angels in heaven. Thank you, Jeni, for sharing your beautiful Mattie with the world.

Mattie had it all figured out somehow. His perception and understanding of the essence of life was truly a gift from heaven. His beautiful smile and his incredible optimism evoked a wonderful feeling in others - a feeling that everything is going to be okay with the world. When you read his words or heard him speak, it just left you with an indescribable sense of peace and joy.

The world is a much better place for having Mattie walk through it - and those of us who would never have known Mattie otherwise are so fortunate to have been able to meet Mattie through the media. Although I never "met" Mattie, I truly loved him, and I loved reading his poems and hearing him speak on television.

Mattie inspired me to do more for others and, although I'm very sad at his passing, "knowing" Mattie won't allow me to stay sad for long - I know I have to do my part to pass along a little bit of Mattie's optimism and kindness into the world.

Thanks, Mattie. I'll hold your memory and your words close always.

Anonymous

God bless Mattie and his mother. He is a beautiful, wonderful soul who made this world a better place. My family and I are better people just from "knowing" him from television.

Melanie

Mattie has been an inspiration to us for years and we have shared his books and his life story with all the children in our families. His wonderful love for life and all the people of the world and his ability to share that through his Heartsong poetry is a lasting gift. We are thankful that he has been released from his painful and limited human body and has gone home to be able to "play after the (long) storm." We will miss him forever and will always remember and honor his mission in our hearts and in our lives. We send our love and prayers to his mother, Jeni, and to the friends who were lucky enough to have known him.

Jeanne and Kae,
Newport, Ore.

Mattie was exactly what we all needed in a time when the world just wasn't making any sense. I lost both my parents 10 years ago (I was 25) and I can't imagine handling that anywhere near as well as Mattie handled his lot in life. But, that's what was so amazing about him; he didn't see it that way at all. He saw life as a gift, and an opportunity to touch and help people. He has sincerely been an inspiration to me. I will miss his face and his words.

Jackie,

Boston, Mass.

My son was diagnosed with MD and I thought he will not have a life, there will be nothing for him in life but pain and he would not live a happy life; that was until I saw you on the TV.

You made me see that my son could have a wonderful life. Even though right now he's too young to know how to do it.

He has your poems, music, and I hope he can have an outlook about life as you have.

I will pray for your mother and the MDA family, so that a cure will be found, and that no other child will have to go through life with this disease.

God bless you, Mattie.

Maria,
Smithville, N.J.

It's been three days since I read of the passing of Mattie and I can't believe the sorrow and sadness I feel with each article I read, or each verse of his poems I look back on. I remember the first time I saw Mattie on the 2001 MDA Telethon. This young man touched my heart in a way that changed me forever. How could I, a healthy adult, complain about anything that life throws at me while this courageous young man, who has battled more than I will ever see in two lifetimes, talks of hope, and caring and the blessings in his life? I have since purchased his books of poems and I treasure them, not for the works inside the pages, but more for the hope and character of this young man. He is a truly special soul. I will never forget him, he changed me, the way I look at things, the way I live my life. I didn't know him personally, but I am going to miss him very much.

Joe,
Bridgeport, Conn.