This, is a combination of sweet and sad. The words contained in the obituary of a dying 5-year-old boy will make you laugh and cry at the same time.
5-year-old Garrett Matthias a.k.a, “The Great Garrett Underpants” of Van Meter, Iowa was diagnosed with stage 4 Alveolar Fusion Negative Rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) – a rare form of cancer that affected his temporal bone, cranial nerve and inner ear.
While this form of cancer is said to not always be terminal, Garret’s case terminal and he lost the battle last week after fighting for 9 months.
His cancer resisted treatment and continued to spread further until he passed on.
Garrett who was said to have lived his last days to the full before his death, composed his own obituary with the help of his parents Emilie and RyanMatthias, and it’s as poignant as it is funny.
There are superheroes, gorilla jokes, Legos, shoutouts to friends and family, and, in the middle of it all, an honest look at fighting cancer through the eyes of a young patient.
”Garrett Michael Matthias AKA “The Great Garrett Underpants”
Of Van Meter, Iowa –
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)
Garrett’s parents confirmed that the contents of the obituary emanated from answers he gave to the questions they asked him, as he fought the disease that ultimately claimed his life.
“We really tried to use his words and the way that he talked,” Emilie told local newspaper. “Garrett was a very unique individual. What I really didn’t want was for his obituary to be ordinary and to have a really sad funeral. We’ve cried oceans of tears for the last nine months.”
The family went on to thank the doctors, nurses, child life specialists, musicians, art therapists, and volunteers that worked tirelessly to cure Garrett of the ailment.
“… he never lost his sense of humor and loved to tease the doctors and nurses. From whoopy cushions and sneaking clothes pins 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’,” the obituary said.
Garrett ended with: “See ya later, suckas! – The Great Garrett Underpants”
