Zach Sobiech only has a few months to live. The 17-year-old teenager has turned to music as a way to raise money for cancer research and to say goodbye to his family.
Sobiech, of Lakeland Minnesota, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (a type of bone cancer) in 2009. Zach has undergone several surgeries and chemotherapy since his diagnosis, but the young man was recently told by doctors that he only has a few more months left to live. In May, 2012, the cancer spread to his pelvis and lungs, and doctors say that there are no known treatments left.
Zach and his family started the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund in order to raise money for cancer research.
The charity page reads:
“Zach had been told he has months to live. This fund was set up to help kids like Zach. To fund research for better treatments and ultimately a cure for this disease. Zach still smiles as mush as he did before cancer~ it just means more now.”
People can donate to the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund here . People who make a $20 donation will receive Zach Sobiech’s CD, which includes the song “Clouds,” the teenager’s goodbye to his family.
Osteosarcoma is a rare form of cancer that effects about 400 children under the age of 20 per year in the United States. The funding page states that Osteosarcoma is too rare to merit major funding efforts.
ChildrensCancer.org writes:
“Unfortunately, research for osteosarcoma lags behind other types of cancers such as leukemia in the development of treatments and more targeted therapies. Because osteosarcoma is so rare, more private funding, like funding from Children’s Cancer Research Fund, is needed to push research forward – for Zach, and young people diagnosed after him.”
Here’s a video of the song “Clouds.”
Well I fell down, down, down Into this dark and lonely hole There was no one there to care about me anymore And I needed a way to climb and grab a hold of the edge You were sitting there holding a rope
And we’ll go up, up, up But I’ll fly a little higher We’ll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer Up here my dear It won’t be long now, it won’t be long now
When I get back on land Well I’ll never get my chance Be ready to live and it’ll be ripped right out of my hands Maybe someday we’ll take a little ride We’ll go up, up, up and everything will be just fine
And we’ll go up, up, up But I’ll fly a little higher We’ll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer Up here my dear
It won’t be long now, it won’t be long now If only I had a little bit more time If only I had a little bit more time with you
We could go up, up, up And take that little ride And sit there holding hands And everything would be just right And maybe someday I’ll see you again We’ll float up in the clouds and we’ll never see the end
And we’ll go up, up, up But I’ll fly a little higher We’ll go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer Up here my dear It won’t be long now, it won’t be long now
You can make a donation here .