Emilie Kreuger Matthias/FacebookA terminally ill five-year-old has brought a nation to tears with his one-of-a-kind obituary.
Garrett Matthias died from a rare bone cancer on July 6, but his funny take on life and death, which he wrote with the help of his parents, means this little boy has left a huge mark on the world.
In his tear-jerking but strangely funny obituary, Garrett wrote how he loved Batman, his family, and his blue bunny. He also explained how when he dies, he plans on coming back as a gorilla and will throw poo at his dad.
Garett also wrote his own, very specific, funeral demands. He wanted to be ‘burned (like when Thor’s Mommy died) and made into a tree’ so he could live in it when he comes back as a gorilla.
He added he wanted Batman to attend the funeral, for snow cones to be served and for there to be five bouncy houses at his funeral, one for each year he lived.
Garrett also took the time to describe some of the things he doesn’t like including ‘needles’, ‘dirty stupid cancer’, and ‘the monkey nose that smells like cherry farts’.
After 5 year-old Garrett Matthias was diagnosed with a treatment resistant cancer, @UIchildrens helped make his dream of becoming a professional boxer a reality: https://t.co/90iVmPIsL7 ?? pic.twitter.com/Rht5lw43BM
— University of Iowa (@uiowa) July 5, 2018
He signed off his obituary:
See ya later, suckas! – The Great Garrett Underpants.
His parents, Emilie and Ryan Matthias, compiled the obituary during their son’s stay at an Iowa City hospital ,after they learned from doctors his cancer was terminal.
Emilie told CNN:
We never necessarily talked about his funeral, so we never had the conversation with him that he was going to die.
But we had a lot of conversations around, ‘When I die I want to do this.’
Emilie Kreuger Matthias/Facebook
Ryan and Emilie plan on honouring their son’s wishes at a memorial ceremony on July 14, where they’ll hold a symbolic Asgardian burial ceremony just after sunset, which will be accompanied with fireworks.
A neighbour has reportedly offered his pond to the family for the ceremony and they plan on floating a small boat on it for a local archer to shoot a flaming arrow into, for an Asgardian-themed pyre.
According to the obituary, following the ceremony there’ll be a private burial of Garrett’s ashes 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.
Posted by Emilie Krueger Matthias on Thursday, 5 July 2018
If you’d like to help Garrett’s family, they’ve set up a Go Fund Me to help cover the young boy’s medical expenses.
You can also donate in Garrett’s honour to a few of the non-profit organisations, whichh helped Garrett along the way including, The Little Al Foundation, The Pink Tractor Foundation and the University of Iowa Dance Marathon.
Our thoughts are with the Matthias family at this difficult time.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.