1990 - 2004
Mattie Stepanek was an American poet, advocate, and peace activist, born on July 17, 1990, in Rockville, Maryland. Despite living with a rare neuromuscular disease known as Dysautonomic Mitochondrial Myopathy, he published several best-selling poetry collections and became known for his heartfelt messages of hope and love. Stepanek was also a motivational speaker, closely associated with the late talk show host Oprah Winfrey, and he passed away on June 22, 2004, at the age of 13.