Laura Sobiech Pens Book On Son's Battle With Cancer
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – One year ago this month, Zach Sobiech's "Clouds" was the No. 1 song on the iTunes chart.
The story behind "Clouds" is one that really resonated in people's hearts around the country. "Clouds" was released in December 2012, six months after doctors told Sobiech he had less than a year to live.
The song grew into a phenomenon and gained the attention of celebrities from actor Bryan Cranston to singer Jason Mraz.
And one year ago this month, Sobiech's fight against Osteosarcoma ended. To commemorate his life, his mother, Laura, has written a book called, "Fly a Little Higher." She joined the WCCO This Morning show on Thursday to talk about the book and her son's journey.
"The first thing I did is just collapse in my husband's arms when I got this book deal because I knew I would have to pull away from the family for the whole summer and write," Laura Sobiech said.
Sobiech was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma at age 14 and spent the last four years of his life battling the disease. He would've turned 19 on Saturday, and his song "Clouds" now has more than 10 million views on YouTube. All proceeds from the song go directly to the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund, which now has $747,000. The hope is that proceeds will exceed $1 million by the end of 2014.
Laura Sobiech will have a book signing event Sunday at the Mall of America from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for "Fly a Little Higher." The cost of the book is about $25. There will also be a performance of "Clouds" by one of Sobiech's former bandmates.
