“I want to be remembered as the kid who went down fighting and didn’t really lose.”
ZACH SOBIECH
Treatments for osteosarcoma, the cancer that took Zach too soon, haven’t improved in decades. Zach wanted his legacy to change that. 100% of all donations to the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma fund go to research for better treatments for this deadly cancer.
Your donation will help fund research for better treatments for kids with osteosarcoma.
Zach's Story
2009
+ Summer: Zach is diagnosed with osteosarcoma at 14 years old.
+ December: Zach began protocol chemotherapy for osteosarcoma at University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital.
Early 2012
+ March: Zach’s family travels to Rome, Lourdes and Paris. Zach’s hip begins to hurt again.
+ June: Doctors found the cancer had spread to Zach’s pelvis and lungs. Zach and his family were told that he had between 6 months and a year to live.
+ July: Zach did an interview for KS95 for Kids, which helped raise awareness for Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
Late 2012
+ September: Zach decided to write a series of songs to say goodbye to friends and family, the most famous of which is “Clouds.”
+ November: The Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund is established at Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
+ December: “Clouds” is played on the radio for the first time and the video goes viral, garnering over 2 million hits by New Year.
early 2013
+ February: Justin Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Entertainment, spend a week with the Sobiech family to film a documentary called Meet Zach Sobiech: My Last Days
late 2013
+ May: Zach passes away from osteosarcoma, surrounded by his family and friends. Later that week, Zach’s fans pushed “Clouds” up to #1 on iTunes.
+ June: The Sobiech’s meet with osteosarcoma researchers for the first time and present $500K raised through Zach’s music and donations to the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund.
2014 & 2015
+ May 2014: Zach’s mom Laura releases her book, “Fly a Little Higher,” detailing her family’s experience during Zach’s battle with osteosarcoma.
+ September 2015: Zach’s fund hits $1 million.
2018
+ February: Researchers at the University of Minnesota, funded by Zach’s fund, identified a genetic biomarker and begin a study to target the gene that causes osteosarcoma to flourish. Read more here.
+ March: Research funded by Zach’s fund creates 15 new discoveries about the genetics of osteosarcoma and starts a national clinical trial.
2019
+ Summer: Finn Argus, the actor who plays Zach in “Clouds” the movie, visits Zach’s family in Stillwater, MN.
+ September: Jaime Modiano, begins work to develop a blood test to help doctors decide how better to treat osteosarcoma.
+ November: Zach’s family visits the set of “Clouds” movie in Montreal, Canada. The “Clouds” logo was created using Zach’s own handwriting.
2019
+ December: “Clouds Choir” for a Cause raises over $100K for the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund. Thousands gathered at the Mall of America to sing “Clouds,” including Zach’s family, the “Clouds” movie cast and director Justin Baldoni. Watch the video here.
2020
+ October: “Clouds” the movie is released for streaming on Disney+.
+ Seventy of Zach’s friends and family act as extras in two of the scenes.
Your Support Funds Groundbreaking Research
8 Seed Grants Funded
Promising researchers often struggle to get funding to study rare diseases like osteosarcoma, but Zach’s Fund has helped bridge that gap by funding 8 potentially groundbreaking projects.
See Project List
National Clinical Trial
Five years after Zach’s passing, researcher Branden Moriarty opens a clinical trial to test a new drug to treat osteosarcoma.
Read More
A Cure in the Making
Researcher Beau Webber has an idea for how to treat osteosarcoma more effectively – and he isn’t afraid to use the word “cure” to describe it.
Read More
The Great Minds Making it Happen
Hear from leading osteosarcoma researchers, including Zach’s own doctor, about the future of research for this rare disease.
Watch the Video
Join Zach's Movement
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SPREAD THE WORD - PRESS KIT
Help us share Zach’s story. Here is a link to our press kit with images and info to share.
Move this research forward with data
Osteosarcoma researchers need more data to continue to develop better, safer treatments. If you or a loved one has osteosarcoma, click here to explore how you can participate in research studies that will fuel future breakthroughs.
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