As we look back at the life and legacy of the 39th president of the United States, much will be said about the more than 30 books Jimmy Carter wrote.
Among all those New York Times bestsellers is the book, “Just Peace: A Message of Hope.” Carter cowrote the book with a little boy from Rockville, Maryland, who was battling a rare form of muscular dystrophy.
Mattie Stepanek met his hero — Carter — face to face for the first time live on “Good Morning America.” While this was a surprise for Mattie, it was not the first time they had spoken.
Mattie had said his wish before he died was to talk to Carter about peace for 15 minutes.
“When I heard he was in intensive care and only had two or three days to live, one of the things I wanted to do was talk to Mattie,” Carter said on GMA.
Mattie’s mom, Jeni Stepanek — also known as Mama Peace — spoke to WTOP about the conversation between her son and Carter.
“President Carter was surprised that this was not a dying child who wanted to talk about peanut farming. It was a young man who had a passion for peace just like he did,” Jeni Stepanek said.
Their friendship blossomed into a true friendship that did not surprise anyone in Carter’s family, including his niece LeAnne Smith.
“Knowing my Uncle Jimmy, he likes to give people voices,” Smith said.
After Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize, Jeni Stepanek said he went outside, climbed a mountain, found a rock and inscribed it, and sent it to Mattie with a letter saying, “I share this Nobel Peace Prize with you.”
Jeni Stepanek also grew close to the Carter family and spent time living in Plains, Georgia, sharing Mattie’s message of peace.
On hearing the news of Carter’s death, Jeni Stepanek told WTOP: “While my heart is heavy with the loss of my dear friend, my spirit is lifted by the thought of him, holding hands with Rosalynn and giving Mattie another hug after so many years.”
Mattie Stepanek died on June 22, 2004. During his funeral, there were many guest speakers, including Oprah Winfrey, but it was Mattie’s friend Jimmy Carter that delivered the eulogy, saying, “We have known kings and queens. We’ve known presidents and prime ministers, but the most extraordinary person whom I’ve ever known in my life is Mattie Stepanek.”
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