“We have known kings and queens, and we’ve known presidents and prime ministers, but the most extraordinary person whom I have ever known in my life is Mattie Stepanek,” former President Jimmy Carter said in his eulogy of Mattie Stepanek, at his June 28, 2004 funeral.
President Carter listed him as a friend and the pair cowrote the book “Just Peace: A Message of Hope” together, which was one of the young poet’s seven books that became New York Times bestsellers.
Oprah Winfrey called Stepanek one of her favorite guests.
Few people fit as much life in 13 years as Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek did.
Mattie lost his battle with dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy, a rare form of muscular dystrophy, as did his siblings Katie, Stevie and Jamie.
Their mother, Jeni Stepanek, also has the rare disease, and was diagnosed after the birth of her children.
Mattie’s Peace Day is normally held around his birthday on July 17. This year it was moved to Sept. 22 due to extreme heat.
Jeni Stepanek, PhD, is known as “Mama Peace.” She spoke to WTOP from the park named after her son in the King Farm neighborhood of Rockville.
“My son Stevie, who only lived six months and two days, was born today and I thought what a beautiful way for Mattie to say, ‘Look Stevie, we’re celebrating my birthday on your birthday’, said Mama Peace.
Hundreds of people enjoyed the music, games and program that Mama Peace planned.
“He really changed my life,” said Stephanie Goldklang.
The stand-up comedian traveled from New York City to perform for the event. Goldklang grew close to Mattie and his mom during her time working for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
“He was an award-winning poet. So his poems and his messages live on in all of us,” Goldklang said.
Robin Gray is a firefighter from outside of Toronto. He said he makes a yearly pilgrimage from Canada to Mattie’s Peace Day.
“Everything about what Mattie stood for resonated with me,” Gray said. “I felt you needed to come support.”
Taking the stage during the celebration was recording artist Billy Gilman.
Gilman told WTOP that he became aware of Mattie during a joint appearance on Larry King Live.
After hearing Mattie’s poetry, Gilman said: “My mission is to put his poems in music.“
The Grammy-nominated artist did just that. In 2003, The album “Heartsongs: Songs Based on Poems of Mattie J.T. Stepanek” was released, making it #15 on the country chart.
After the 20th Peace Day celebration was over, Mama Peace sat beside the statue of her son, smiled and said: “I have to believe my son is in some amazing space and he is high-fiving all the angels.”
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