5-Year-Old Plans His Own Unique Funeral Before Passing Away From Terminal Cancer

5-Year-Old Plans His Own Unique Funeral Before Passing Away From Terminal Cancer

When 5-year-old Garrett Mathias passed away from cancer, he left behind some specific and unique funeral requests that his parents made sure to abide by.

According to the Des Moines Register, the young boy had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as alveolar fusion negative rhabdomyosarcoma.

His cancer wasn't responding to treatment and the doctors eventually gave him a terminal diagnosis.

Being in the pediatric cancer ward for months, Garrett and his parents became used to talking about death, dying, and funerals. Garrett's mom, Emilie, attended several funerals of other kids in the cancer ward which would open conversations about funerals and dying with Garrett.

It soon became clear that Garrett didn't want a typical funeral. He wanted a party!

"Why are funerals so sad? I'm going to have bouncy houses at mine," Garrett told his mom, according to the Des Moines Register.

As the months passed on and Garrett got sicker and weaker, Emilie and her husband began to take notes of the things Garrett said and wanted for his end-of-life celebration. When Garrett passed away in July, they made sure to plan a funeral that was just what he wanted.

The funeral looked similar to a birthday party and included five different bouncy houses, snow cones, and superheroes - all requested by Garrett. He didn't want people to be sad and mourn in a traditional way, so his parents gave him the party he wanted.

Beyond that, Garrett said, "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." To fulfill his wishes, some of Garrett's ashes were placed on a wooden structure, pushed into a lake, and shot with a burning arrow.

Garrett's optimism and enjoyment of life really shone through during his funeral.

To top things off, Garrett's obituary ended with his famous parting words: "See ya later, suckas!"

Check out the video below to see more of Garrett's celebration of life:
Malorie Thompson

Malorie works as a writer and editor in Northern California. She's passionate about food, conscious living, animal welfare, and conservation. She's worked with a variety of publications in different sectors but is happiest covering topics close to her heart. When not at her laptop, Malorie can be found enjoying picnics on the beach, hiking in the redwoods, and spending time with her rescue pup, Jax.

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