A Child's Tombstone Designed by His Dad Is Going Viral
It feels utterly morbid to call a tombstone for a child "sweet" or "beautiful," but the one in the Salt Lake City Cemetery pictured above, designed by the 10-year-old child's father, is just that. Matthew Stanford Robison was born paralyzed and spent most of his life in a wheelchair, so after his passing, his dad created this monument to depict Matthew "free of his earthly burdens."
The photo of the tombstone is going viral on Reddit after a user shared a brief version of Matthew's story, but upon digging further, the grave appears to have a place in Utah's modern history, appearing on multiple travel sites as a Salt Lake City landmark of sorts. In most every place the photo appears online, parts of Matthew's 1999 obituary are shared:
Matthew was a joy and inspiration to all who were privileged to know him. . . . At birth, Matthew's life expectancy was anticipated to be only hours long. However, fortitude, strength, and endurance, combined with the power of God allowed Matthew to live ten and one-half years enveloped in the love of his family and friends. His family was privileged to spend time with him here upon earth, to learn from his courage and marvel at his constant joy and happiness in the face of struggle. His family will be eternally changed by his presence and temporally changed by his passing. His presence inspired all those who knew him. He opened their hearts as well as their eyes.