Transcript: Zach Sobiech on CNN's 'Extraordinary People'

CNN told Zach Sobiech's story Thursday night in the final segment of a special called Extraordinary People. Here's a transcript of the Zach Sobiech portion of the program, excerpted from the full transcript of Extraordinary People program, as posted at CNN.com: 

(ROBIN) MEADE (CNN ANCHOR) (voice-over): Up next, a Minnesota teen was dying from cancer -- but his hit song inspired millions.

JASON MRAZ, SINGER/SONGWRITER: I thought it was probably one of the most important songs that I've ever heard.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MEADE: By all accounts Zach Sobiech was dealt a horrible hand, diagnosed with cancer at the age of 14. He spent more time at the hospital than he did at high school.

But through his passion for music, Zach found peace and purpose in his suffering. He shared that music with the world. And as you'll see, he made an extraordinary impact in a way that he probably never dreamed possible.

(voice-over): Music, sports, family, the things most important to Zach Sobiech.

LAURA SOBIECH, ZACH'S MOTHER: Zach loved sports from a very young age. He tried all different kinds of sports: football, basketball.

MEADE: In August of 2009, 14-year-old Zach Sobiech went for a run that stopped him in his tracks.

L. SOBIECH: When came back, he said, "Mom, my hip hurts." And so I took him in to the doctor. We had an X-ray done.

MEADE (on camera): Because you would initially thing that's a muscular thing?

L. SOBIECH: Exactly. So we went to physical therapy for two months. And it got worse.

MEADE: Two months?

L. SOBIECH: Yes. It got worse. It got to the point where he couldn't bend over and tie his shoes anymore. It was that bad. And so finally, the physical therapist said, you know, "This isn't working. You need an MRI."

MEADE (voice-over): That's when doctors discovered a tumor in Zach's left hip. His mysterious pain was caused by a rare form of bone cancer.

DR. BRENDA WEIGEL, ZACH'S ONCOLOGIST: Only approximately 500 children and young adults are diagnosed every year in the United States with osteosarcoma.

MEADE: Despite the shattering diagnosis and the sickening rounds of chemotherapy, Zach remained focused and hopeful.

WEIGEL: He was determined that he was still going to do the things he wanted to do despite his cancer.

L. SOBIECH: We had a lot of hope. You know, there were a lot of treatments that could have worked.

MEADE: But tragically for Zach, they didn't.

L. SOBIECH: When we went on our trip to Europe, I noticed that he was limping. We got home from Europe, and they did a PET scan; and we found out that his pelvis was -- the whole left side of his pelvis was involved. Cancer was everywhere.

MEADE: Doctors delivered the news. He would have just months to live.

L. SOBIECH: So we had to talk through that. Like, how do you do this? How do you live while you're dying?

MEADE: Zach turned to his guitar for answers. Last fall Laura was tidying up the house when she stumbled upon a piece of paper that struck a chord.

L. SOBIECH: I came across this folded piece of paper and unfolded it, and it said "Clouds" on top. And he walked in the door, and I said, "Did you -- did you write this?"

And he said, "Yes. I did."

I said, "Did you -- do you have music for it?"

MEADE (on camera): Is this his phone?

L. SOBIECH: This is his phone, yes. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and he said, "I recorded it. Here, you want to listen to it?"

And I'm like, "Yes, of course I do."

(MUSIC: ZACH SOBIECH'S "CLOUDS")

L. SOBIECH: I think it's a great song. I'm his mom. So, of course, I'm going to think it's a great song.

MEADE (voice-over): Laura sent Zach's song to their local radio station.

DAN SEEMAN, GENERAL MANAGER, KS95: This song that was so personal and so poignant. And I felt like it was this amazing message that needed to be shared.

MEADE: Within days, the station's general manager assembled a team of accomplished local musicians who donated their time and their expertise and helped Zach record "Clouds" and even produce his very own music video.

ZACH SOBIECH, CANCER PATIENT (singing): Go up, up, up, up. I'll fly a little higher. Go up in the clouds because the view is a little nicer.

SEEMAN: We launched it on YouTube.

L. SOBIECH: Then things went crazy. I think we were on our way to two million by Christmas. And it went crazy.

Z. SOBIECH (singing): Maybe someday I'll see you again. We'll float up in the clouds, and we'll never see the end.

SEEMAN: I think what started out as a -- really a personal message became a message that everyone can relate to, because who doesn't want to live life to the fullest?

MEADE: But Zach's cancer was spreading. His time was running out. Yet, there was so much more that he wanted to do.

WEIGEL: It was very important to Zach that anyone affected with osteosarcoma wouldn't go through what he went through.

L. SOBIECH: That became more important to him when he found out that he was terminal. It's like, "All right, well, let's -- let's do something to help."

MEADE: So Zach created a fund to find new treatments for osteosarcoma and, hopefully, a cure.

L. SOBIECH: A hundred percent of the money that's raised will go to a research team at the University of Minnesota where Zach was treated.

MEADE: Next on Zach's list, a documentary about his final days.

L. SOBIECH: We wanted to build awareness. We wanted to direct people to the funds. So that is what kind of led us to do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, Sobiech family. Everyone come downstairs.

MEADE: The producers enlisted the help of some of Zach's favorite stars, like Grammy-winning singer Jason Mraz, and they created a surprise tribute video for Zach.

MRAZ: Thank you, Zach. You wrote a great song, dude.

When I heard "Clouds" for the first time, yes, I thought it was probably one of the most important songs that I'd ever heard.

Z. SOBIECH (singing): You'll go up, up, up and I'll fly, fly, fly.

MRAZ: Rarely do you come across a song that is written with such purpose or written for something so purposeful.

MEADE: Zach's purpose was to leave a powerful message behind, as he told CNN's Ed Lavandera last year.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You want to leave a melody behind?

Z. SOBIECH: Yes. It's kind of me always being there for them. Like, if they -- if they keep singing that song throughout their whole life, I'll be right next to them the whole way.

MEADE: Zach Sobiech died in May shortly after his 18th birthday. Twelve hundred people gathered for his funeral, and together they sang "Clouds."

(MUSIC: ZACH SOBIECH'S "CLOUDS")

L. SOBIECH: I know he was there, and he was grinning ear to ear, because it was beautiful.

MEADE: Days after his passing, "Clouds" hit No. 1 on iTunes and on Billboard's rock chart. The online documentary, it went viral, as well: over 11 million YouTube hits and still counting.

L. SOBIECH: And that's when I could see this isn't just about a kid with cancer who's got a nice song. This is something much bigger.

MRAZ: Zach lives now as an inspiration and a constant reminder to the power of music.

MEADE: The power to heal. And the power to help.

L. SOBIECH: I really think that, with the substantial gift that Zach gave us through his music, we will be able to change the outcome for patients with osteosarcoma.

MEADE (on camera): When you come in here, what does it do for you to be in his room?

L. SOBIECH: I feel claustrophobia.

MEADE: Do you still feel him here?

L. SOBIECH: Yes.

(voice-over): Today, seven months after Zach's death, Laura struggles with the loss of her son.

(on camera): What do you hope Zach and his lasting legacy means to all of us?

L. SOBIECH: That joy and suffering can go hand in hand. He chose to be happy. He chose that. And he fought for it every day.

Z. SOBIECH (singing): Maybe someday I'll see you again. We'll float off in the clouds, and we'll never see the end.