Sometimes, the individuals in our lives who say the least end up teaching us the most important lessons. Motivational speakers and famous authors surely have a lot to say about what a fulfilling life looks like and how to achieve it.
The church family, community and parents of Matthew Stanford Robinson would say in a heartbeat that they learned more from Matthew’s 10 years on earth than any professional speaker or author could have taught them. Matthew was born blind and paralyzed from the neck down due to a lack of oxygen.
Because of his severe medical disabilities, doctors thought he would live for a few hours. Amazingly, he lived to be 10 years old!
Sometimes, the individuals in our lives who say the least end up teaching us the most important lessons. Motivational speakers and famous authors surely have a lot to say about what a fulfilling life looks like and how to achieve it.
The church family, community and parents of Matthew Stanford Robinson would say in a heartbeat that they learned more from Matthew’s 10 years on earth than any professional speaker or author could have taught them. Matthew was born blind and paralyzed from the neck down due to a lack of oxygen.
Because of his severe medical disabilities, doctors thought he would live for a few hours. Amazingly, he lived to be 10 years old!
Matthew’s father, Ernest, knew that a normal tombstone would not be a fitting depiction of his son’s spirit. He wanted it to represent joy and hope rather than a simple reminder of his son’s passing.
It was the perfect opportunity to design a tombstone that would remind everyone who loved him that he was no longer suffering and that with God, he was in his truest form free from the limits of disabilities. The tombstone is so beautiful and touching that millions of people have visited it and reflected upon Matthew’s life!
Visiting a cemetery can be a time filled with grief and sorrow, but Matthew’s family wanted to make sure his tombstone brought happiness instead. Ernest designed a simple gravestone base with a traditional inscription located at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
The top of the gravestone is a stunning sculpture representing Matthew rising from his wheelchair as he reaches up to heaven where he is, “free of his earthly burdens.” After their son’s passing, Matthew’s parents wanted to lift some of the financial burdens of paying for equipment for those with conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, spinal cord injuries, and multiple sclerosis.
They founded “Ability Found” which helps to provide mobility and other adaptive equipment to disabled people who would otherwise not be able to get the equipment they need. To learn more about this charity, please watch the video below.
Matthew’s obituary was beautifully written and included these words, “Matthew was a joy and inspiration to all who were privileged to know him.”
“He was a testament to the supreme divinity of the soul and an embodiment of the completeness our spirits yearn for. The godliness of his soul inspired, influenced and blessed all who knew him.”
What a truly inspiring story! Let us know when you share this story how you were inspired by Matthew’s life and his parents’ decision to honor him with the organization “Ability Found.”
H/T Liftable
