Boy (5) writes his own obituary during cancer treatment

Garrett Matthias (age 5) thought what his funeral would look like one day. He did not want a solemn gathering; he wanted a carnival atmosphere. "Funerals are sad," said his obituary. "I want five inflatable houses (because I'm 5 years old), Batman and snow cones."

When he died, he said that he wanted to be "burned" and "turned into a tree so that I could live when I am a gorilla."

And after his death? "I'm going to be a gorilla and throw a poop at dad!" He shared all this – and much more – in conversations with his parents for about 10 months while he was being treated for a rare form of cancer.

He did not know that his words would live, compiled in a widely shared obituary

His illness began at the end of August, when Garrett was 4 years old.

"He went home." Garrett's mother, Emilie Matthias, said Saturday

"The left side of his face seemed to be paralyzed when he smiled."

After consultations with various doctors, all of whom said that Garrett had Bell's palsy, he saw someone who suspected something very different. In September, a biopsy revealed that he had a rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer that attacked his temporal bone and inner ear, rendering it unusable.

He was "always a joker" tickling doctors and nurses with cushions and clothespins. on their clothes

The Matthias – Garrett family; Emilie; her husband, Ryan; and their daughter, Delphina, left their home in Van Meter, Iowa, for treatment in Iowa City

It was to include 54 weeks of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation therapy.

Sarcoma has not yet spread to her brain. He was "forever a joker" who teased doctors and nurses with cushions and clothespins that he would sneak on their clothes, said his obituary. And when someone told him: "See you later, alligator", he would surprise them with "To more, suckas!"

His obituary reflects a mixture of his childhood and the treatments he's had. suffered. In a section titled "The things I love most", he said: "Playing with my sister, my blue rabbit, thrash metal, legos, my daycare friends, Batman and when they have me. asleep before they reach my port. "

He was known around the hospital as" Garrett Underpants "because he hated wearing pants or shorts, said Emilie Matthias. One day he said that he would be a professional boxer, and his name would be "The Great Garrett Underpants". "

Treatment-Resistant

After more than 30 weeks of chemotherapy, Garrett developed so debilitating headaches that he could not speak." He migrated from the temporal bone to the wall of his brain, which regulates the cerebrospinal fluid, "said Matthias." At that time, they came and told us that his cancer was resistant to treatment. "

They had planned to travel to Florida thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, but Garrett's disease was too bad Zoo in June

"He was able to interact with the gorillas, and he had a good time," said his mother. trip was cut short. "We went to the zoo on Friday morning and Friday night he could not walk," she said, adding that the cancer had spread to her spinal cord.

It is died on July 6. Garrett once told his parents that his favorite superheroes were Batman, Thor, Iron Man, Hul k and Cyborg In this vein, his family paid tribute to Garrett on Saturday night by a symbolic Asgardian burial ceremony – a nod to a scene from the movie "Thor: The Dark World".

Garrett's grandfather, Fred Krueger, built a long ceremonial boat decorated with a shield that Garrett got at a Renaissance festival, Matthias said. The boat will be afloat on the pond of a neighbor, while an archer will shoot an inflamed arrow into the sky.

And yes, there will be snowcones and inflatable houses, as well as fireworks, cotton candy, makeup and spinning. The family called it "A Celebration of Life", a tribute to a boy who had such vitality, even in the face of debilitating pain.

"A private burial of Garrett's ashes will take place later, once his parents will have how hell to make his ashes made a tree and locate a nature reserve, so that his tree resides in a protected area, "said the obituary

Krueger recalled a conversation that Garrett had with his grandmother: his grandmother once when his cancer was going to be done. could not answer that question and it broke his heart.But it's done now. "

I'd gladly have taken his place and I would die for him if he had been able to live

Later, when cancer reached his spinal cord and Garrett became paralyzed, he thought about his grandfather's comfort during a recent visit. "Garrett looks at me and says," Grandpa, come and sit in that chair, Krueger said:

Building the boat for Garrett's funeral was the least he could do.

"I would have gladly taken his place and I would die for him if he could have lived, but you know you can not do that," he said. "God does not allow not that. "

-New York Times