‘With months to live, how do you say goodbye?’

MANILA, Philippines – It’s not about dying, it’s about living.

Like the average teenage boy, Zach Sobiech went to school, liked playing basketball, and loved playing guitar and video games.

But his world turned upside down when he was 14. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer.

This form of cancer is especially prevalent in children under 15. About 60% to 80% of patients with this disease survive for less than 5-year-survival rate.

He underwent intensive chemotherapy but the cancer still spread. Four years after his diagnosis, he ran out of treatment options and was only given a year to live.

Cancer is a death sentence for most, but it inspired Zach to make the most out of time he has left.

He chose to write songs for his friends and family.

“I only have a few months to live,” he said.  “But I still have a lot of work to do. I want everyone to know you do not need to find out you’re dying to start living,” he added. 

He wrote the song “Clouds” to inspire others not to be afraid of death. It immediately went viral on the internet. 

Watch it here: 

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 rop 

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

 

“My closure is to get my feelings into these songs so they (my family, friends) can have something to remember me by or lean on when I’m gone,” Sobiech says in the film “My Last Days: Meet Zach Sobiech.”

The 23-minute short film is directed and produced by Justin Baldoni.  It captures Zach’s journey into the last 5 months of his life.

Zach worked to raise money for cancer cure research to try to help others like him. 

The video has 6 million view as of posting. 

“What an amazingly inspiring story. I feel for Zach’s family and friends at this hard time, but I am sure that they won’t be crying because he is gone. They’ll be smiling because he was here!” said YouTube user Rhialian. 

Zach’s philosophy in life is one everyone can live by. – Rappler.com