Mattie Stepanek

Mattie Stepanek age 13

"Don't let your problems get you down, or you'll miss out on life," said Mattie Stepanek, age 11, who battled muscular dystrophy and lost three other siblings with the same disease. He later died at age 13.

Throughout his life, he never complained and always tried to make people laugh and smile because it made him feel good. He wrote many books of poetry to give people hope in life and to not give up. While in the hospital for much of his life, he always played with other children,and made them happy. He celebrated life every day in some way and his future ambition was to become an ambassador for peace.

Mattie loved making others laugh, and while he was sick, he wrote stories and poems. His poems were so good, they were quickly recognized and published in his very own book. Later, there were many books that he had written, full of poems he had wrote by himself. The last book Mattie published was just before he died. It was called "Just Peace: A Message of Hope".

Mattie was in the hospital for most of his life, and while he was, he would always read his poems to other sick children, and give them hope that they would get better.

Usually kids Mattie's age want to be teachers, or doctors, but Mattie wanted to make a big impact on the world and make it a better place. He was a big believer in faith, peace and hope. He wanted to become an ambassador for peace.

Despite how sick he was, he always seemed to have a smile on his face, and was always putting others' happiness ahead of his own. He is a role model for many, and he gives us hope and faith in ourselves, in what we do every day and to not take the things we have for granted.