STORIES
Faith
DONATE

Zach Sobiech

by Mya from Calgary

"I want to be known as the kid who went down fighting and didn't really lose."
A web about Zach Sobiech. (Drawn by Mya Stanton)
A web about Zach Sobiech. (Drawn by Mya Stanton)

Introduction: For this term's book report I decided to read the biography, Fly a Little Higher, by Laura Sobiech. It's a 340-page book about Zach Sobiech's battle with cancer. I found this book in Chapters. The book seemed quite appealing to me because it was about a boy's fight with cancer. I found this book to be very interesting. Zach's life was very sad, so it is quite hard to get through without crying. The book covers Zach's whole life, which is only 17 years long (1995-2013), but Zach is full of faith and never gives up. Fly a Little Higher was written by Zach's mother in 2014. The title was inspired by Zach's number one hit song, Clouds (which is one of my favourite songs). Laura spent three years struggling to get through Zach's cancer battle. When she figured out that Zach only had a year to live, she prayed to God, "Okay, Lord, you can have him. But if he must die, I want it to be for something big. I want someone's life to be changed forever." God answered in a way she could have never imagined. I am not religious but I think that God did the most beautiful thing he could have done. Read the book to find out what God did for Zach. Laura had to go through the pain of a child dying. Sometimes I imagine where she might have burst into tears while writing the novel. That's not the point; the point is that Laura was just as strong as her son. She was the main person who supported Zach in his music and cancer journey. The point is that Zach's story touched the hearts of millions of people. I still prefer reading fiction, but I will always love Fly a Little Higher.

A Picture of Zach Sobiech (Drawn by Mya Stanton)
A Picture of Zach Sobiech (Drawn by Mya Stanton)

Personal Facts: Zach Sobeich was born on May 3, 1995 and died on May 20, 2013. Zach grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with two older siblings and a younger sister. Zach's mom's name was Laura and his dad's name was Rob. Zach went to a local catholic school before he was diagnosed with cancer. He played football and basketball on the school teams. Zach was home schooled by his mom when he was first diagnosed with cancer. He was much too sick to go to school. Zach always loved sports and music. He played the guitar and, as I said, played basketball and football. Zach really wanted to be a singer/song writer when he grew up. He got a taste of it before he died. Zach always loved little kids. He was a favorite of cousins and loved his little sister. Zach called her "My Baby". She really influenced him and he was most concerned about how she would feel losing him. She was so young when he died. Zach knew that he would probably die when he got cancer but that didn't stop him. Zach lived life to the fullest. He wrote and recorded the number one hit song, Clouds. Zach organized many fundraisers to help raise money to cure cancer. He was strong and loving. Zach was an inspiration.

Zach playing the guitar (Drawn by Mya Stanton)
Zach playing the guitar (Drawn by Mya Stanton)

Challenges and Accomplishments: Zach's life was cut short by cancer. He died when it entered his lungs. Zach had to go through the pain of chemotherapy and surgeries and losing his family. Zach knew he would die. His family knew he would die. Zach's life was not easy but it was full. It doesn't matter how long you live if you don't really live. Even though Zach had terminal cancer he lived a wonderful life. He really took the phrase "You Only Live Once" seriously. Zach did more amazing things in four years than most people do in a lifetime. Zach was an amazing singer. He wrote songs and played instruments. He was a star but none of that would have happened without support and help of friends and family. Zach's mom set up most of his concerts and shows. She was always cheering him on. Zach's singing partner, Sammy Brown, and cellist, Mitch (whose last name was not mentioned) helped out a lot with the music. Zach had many important people in his life. Those people helped with more than just cancer. Zach was a caring, kind, faithful person. He would ignore the pain to make his sister happier. He would have tons of fundraisers. He went to church often. But, like everyone, he had flaws. He was a slob. Zach apparently left chips and food everywhere. It is kind of weird that the only flaw I can think of is the fact that Zach was a slob, but the novel was about Zach's greatness not flaws. If there weren't very many flaws to mention Zach probably didn't have enough flaws to acknowledge. Zach was very true to his religion. He was very faithful. He prayed and relied on God to help him get through the years of chemo and radiation therapy and surgeries and pain. Zach's faith led him to awards and music. Zach loved hosting parties to fund raise for cancer. He would have tons of people come. Sometimes he would play his own music with Sammy and Mitch. In an amazing but short life Zach wrote a number one hit song, he was on the radio and TV, and he touched the hearts of millions. Zach had a life like no other.

Conclusion: I learnt a lot about Zach when I read Fly a Little Higher. I was very surprised with how much faith Zach had. It was absolutely amazing how dedicated Zach was to his religion. If I were to personally meet Zach I would ask him, "How did it feel waking up every morning knowing it might be your last?" I would ask him how he got through life knowing he would die. I don't think I would be able to do that. I would also ask Zach how he came up with such deep and meaningful lyrics in all his songs. I think that Fly a Little Higher was an outstanding book. Zach's story was like no other. I think that most people who read about it would enjoy it. It's sad yet uplifting. The book taught me that no matter what life throws at you, you never give up. Zach never gave up on his dream and I think that no one should. If I were to get cancer I would try to live just like Zach did. Zach's sister once asked him, "Why do all the best people die?" and Zach replied with, "Why do you always pick the best flowers from the garden?" I wouldn't want to be Zach's sister personally because I would not want my brother to die. If he didn't die I would probably love to have him as a brother. Zach was a person to look up to. I am very happy I picked this book to read for my biography. I feel like I will never look at life the same way again. It's not something to take for granted. Zach is a real hero and that is why he is my hero.


Page created on 2/2/2015 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 2/2/2015 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

Wikipedia - Some information on Zach Sobiech.
Clouds - Zach's number one hit song.
Fix Me Up - Zach's sad song, sung with Sammy Brown.
My Last Days - A short video about Zach's life.
Fly a Little Higher - Fly a Little Higher's official website.