After suddenly losing their 11-year-old son, the family of Matthew Gallagher is sending his ashes to space as a way of honoring the little boy's biggest dream. And it wouldn't have been possible without the kindness and generosity of strangers!
No parent expects to be planning a funeral for their child. But U.S. Marine Scott Gallagher and his wife Cori found themselves doing just that when their 11-year-old son passed away unexpectedly.
"Honestly, it’s been the most traumatic thing you can really ever experience. He was my first baby, the first one to make me a mom," Cori explained.
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Many remember this sweet boy for his "contagious laugh" and "contagious smile", along with his natural ability to make friends easily.
"He didn’t give you a choice if you wanted to be his friend, you were his friend," said his dad.
So when 11-year-old Matthew Gallagher unexpectedly went home to be with the Lord, his family wanted to do something extraordinary to honor him. And sending his ashes to space seemed like an incredible way to do it!
Matthew Gallagher loved space and technology. In fact, the little boy dreamed of one day becoming an astronaut. And he was "ecstatic" over his upcoming summer space camp session at the Kennedy Space Center.
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Tragically, Matthew's life ended before getting a chance to attend the camp.
So, as Scott and Cori researched ways to honor their space-loving son, they came across Celestis Memorial Spaceflights. The grieving parents learned they could be sending Matthew's ashes to space through the Destiny flight launch from Cape Canaveral in 2023. And it seemed perfect. What better way to honor their late son than to fulfill the biggest dream he had in life?
Though Scott and Cori Gallagher were desperate to grant their son's last wish, the price tag is pretty steep. The flight starts at $12,000.
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"Anybody who loses a child would do anything to fulfill their dream so we knew that we needed to do something space-related," Cori said of their desire to do this.
And that's when the friends, family, and strangers from all over stepped in to help make sure this grieving family got to honor their son in the best way possible.
Donations poured in, making Matthew's and his parents' dream a reality. They will be sending his ashes to space!
One of the things Matthew and his parents would say to each other was, "I love you to the moon and back." And this, combined with Matthew Gallagher's love of space, helped direct Scott and Cori as they planned his memorial.
"We chose the Luna flight so that way, every time we look at the night sky and the moon, we will know Matthew is where he truly belongs," Cori explained.
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Hopefully, each time Matthew's loved ones look at the sky, they will be reminded that he is now safe in the arms of his loving Savior. Though his sudden departure from this life was unexpected, may his family take comfort in knowing they will be reunited one day in Heaven.
h/t: People
Featured Image Credit: Youtube/FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Mel is the senior writer for GodUpdates, finding, writing and sharing Christian, uplifting, and health-related stories from around the world. Mel has a passion for writing and graduated with a degree in English from Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. When she’s not researching and writing stories, Mel is very active in her church. You can usually find Mel playing board games with her husband and two young girls, giving someone a hug, or hunting down a good cup of coffee!