There’s nothing more heartbreaking than a terminally ill child. Ryan and Emilie Matthias spent nine months watching their 5-year-old son, Garrett, battle cancer. Even though the young boy had to deal with some painful treatments, he never lost his sense of humor.
He made his doctors and his nurses laugh constantly.
When the couple found out their son was terminal, they wanted to talk to him about his last wishes. They wanted to explain things to him and wanted to make sure he wasn’t scared. They had several conversations about death with their young son.
In the end, Garrett handled it all really well, and he even wrote his own obituary.
He managed to make his family, friends, doctors, and nurses laugh, even after his death. Here’s what this brave young boy had to say about himself. His obituary read:
“My name is: Garrett Michael Boofias
My birthday is: I am 5 years old
My address is: I am a Bulldog!
My favorite color is: Blue….and Red and Black and Green
My favorite superhero is: Batman…and Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk and Cyborg
When I grow up: I’m going to be a professional boxer
“My favorite people are:
• Mommy, Daddy, my sister ‘Delcina’ (Delphina),
• The grandparents with the new house (Fredric and Cheryl Krueger),
• The grandparents with the camper (Daniel and Nita Matthias),
• My cousins: Grady, ‘that guy I took down that one time’ (Luke), and London Marie,
• My Auntie Janette and Stinky Uncle Andy (Andrew and Janette Krueger),
• Those two guys, you know, my uncles (Kristopfer Krueger and James Taylor)
• Batman!!
“The things I love the most: Playing with my sister, my blue bunny, thrash metal, Legos, my daycare friends, Batman and when they put me to sleep before they access my port.
“Things I hate: Pants!, dirty stupid cancer, when they access my port, needles, and the monkey nose that smells like cherry farts…I do like the mint monkey nose like at Mayo Radiation and that one guy that helped me build Legos (Randy).”
“When I die: I am going to be a gorilla and throw poo at Daddy!
“Burned or Buried: I want to be burned (like when Thor’s Mommy died) and made into a tree so I can live in it when I’m a gorilla
“Big or Small Funeral: Funerals are sad: I want 5 bouncy houses (because I’m 5), Batman, and snow cones.
“Emilie and Ryan Matthias will honor Garrett’s final wishes by having a Celebration of Life on Saturday, July 14th from 5pm – 11pm at 2377 132nd Ct Van Meter, Iowa
“Note: Symbolic Asgardian burial ceremony and fireworks will be held just after sunset
“A private burial of Garrett’s ashes will be held at a later time once his parents figure out how the hell to get his ashes made into a tree and locate a nature preserve, so his tree resides in a protected area.”
The family made sure to follow through with all his wishes.
The obituary continued:
“Donations can be made directly to the family GoFundMe or in Garrett’s honor to a few of the many non-profits that helped Garrett along the way: The Little Al Foundation, The Pink Tractor Foundation, and the University of Iowa Dance Marathon.
“We are so grateful to the many doctors, nurses, child life specialists, musicians, art therapists, and volunteers that worked tirelessly to cure Garrett of his cancer. The reality for Garrett and so many other children is pediatric cancer is an ugly, nasty beast that leaves a path of destruction. For Garrett and many others before him – cancer kills. Those that are ‘lucky’ enough to survive endure long-term debilitating side effects and the constant fear of relapse. We will fight for a cure until no other kids are robbed of their childhood, no other siblings lose their best friends, and no other parents have to bury their babies.”
His parents also added some information to the obituary.
They added:
“Garrett endured nine months of hell before he lost his battle with cancer. During that time, he never lost his sense of humor and loved to tease the doctors and nurses. From whoopie cushions and sneaking clothespins on their clothes to ‘hazing’ the interns and new staff doctors, he was forever a prankster. Nothing caught people off guard as his response to ‘see ya later alligator’:
“See ya later, suckas! – The Great Garrett Underpants”
In the end, this sweet boy was able to change the lives of everyone he touched just by having a positive attitude.
His parents are devastated, but his bravery and sense of humor have helped make things a little more bearable for them.
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