Garrett Matthias, 5, thought about what his funeral would look like one day. He didn’t want a solemn gathering; he wanted a carnival-like atmosphere. “Funerals are sad,” his obituary said. “I want five bouncy houses (because I’m 5), Batman and snow cones.” When he died, he said he wanted “to be burned” and “made into a tree so I can live in it when I’m a gorilla.” And after he died? “I am going to be a gorilla and throw poo at Daddy!” He shared all of this — and much more — in various conversations with his parents over about 10 months battling a rare form of cancer.<doc-sep>Terminally ill man gets dying wish to see dog Stephanie Northcott hugs her son Dalton and her granddaughter Maddyson from her hospital bed after Dalton graduated high school on May 4th. (CNN) — “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 … “ These lines mark the beginning of Garrett Michael Matthias’ obituary, words he spoke to his parents before losing his battle to a rare form of pediatric cancer. WHO Emilie and Ryan Matthias remember their son Garrett. The Iowa boy made up the surname Boofias because his real name was too hard for him to pronounce. He also went by “The Great Garrett Underpants.” In his obituary, he expressed his love for Batman and Thor and his family. He hated pants and needles and the illness. He was diagnosed with cancer nine months ago and died Friday. “We never necessarily talked about his funeral, so we never had the conversation with him that he was going to die,” his mother Emilie Matthias told CNN affiliate WHO. “But we had a lot of conversations around, ‘When I die I want to do this.’” WHO Matthias was diagnosed with a rare pediatric cancer nine months ago. Garrett planned an imaginative funeral, with five bouncy houses (one for each year of his life), snow cones, and of course, Batman. “I want to be burned (like when Thor’s Mommy died) and made into a tree so I can live in it when I’m a gorilla,” he wrote. And he wanted fireworks. “That’s him speaking. Those are his words verbatim,” his father Ryan Matthias told WHO. “When I read it, I’m just like ‘Wow’. Sounds like Garrett just yapping at me.” CNN was not able to reach Garrett’s parents Thursday. They said they will honor his wishes with a symbolic Thor-influenced burial ceremony and fireworks on Saturday. “A private burial of Garrett’s ashes will be held at a later time once his parents figure out how the hell to get his ashes made into a tree and locate a nature preserve, so his tree resides in a protected area,” they wrote. Read the full obituary here.<doc-sep>A five-year-old Iowa boy who suffered from a rare form of cancer penned his own obituary before succumbing to the deadly disease. Garrett Michael Matthias passed away on June 6 after fighting a nine-month battle against Stage 4 Alveolar Fusion Negative Rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS), a rare form of cancer that attacked his temporal bone, cranial nerve and inner ear before spreading to other parts of his body. After learning their son's illness was terminal, Garrett's parents, Emilie and Ryan Matthias, asked their son a list of questions to ensure that he would be remembered the way he wanted to be. The couple then turned their son's answers into an obituary, which they say sounds just like the boy they loved so dearly. "That's him speaking. Those are his words verbatim," Ryan Matthias told WHO. "When I read it, I'm just like 'wow.' Sounds like Garrett just yapping at me." In the tear-jerking passage, Garrett lists his favorite superheroes as "Batman…and Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk and Cyborg." He says that when he grows up, he wants to be a professional boxer. He lists some of his favorite people as "mommy, daddy, (his) sister," as well as his grandparents, "Auntie Janette and Stinky Uncle Andy" and Batman. Garrett says that the things he loves the most are "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." As for the things he hates? "Pants!" and "dirty stupid cancer." Emilie Matthias told WHO that one of her son's final requests was that he did not have a traditional funeral because "those are sad." Instead, Garrett asked for a party with five bounce houses, one for each year he lived, a visit from Batman and snow cones. "You know, why does it have to be sad?" his mother tearfully told the station. Garrett also asked for a symbolic Asgardian cremation ceremony, similar to how a title character in the Marvel movie Thor was honored upon her death, and for his ashes to then be turned into a tree — a request his parents say they are trying to figure out how to fulfill. Along with their son's candid answers, Emilie and Ryan Matthias included in Garrett's obituary a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped their son during his difficult battle with cancer. "We are so grateful to the many doctors, nurses, child life specialists, musicians, art therapists, and volunteers that worked tirelessly to cure Garrett of his cancer," they wrote. "The reality for Garrett and so many other children is pediatric cancer is an ugly, nasty beast that leaves a path of destruction. For Garrett and many others before him – cancer kills. Those that are ‘lucky’ enough to survive endure long term debilitating side effects and the constant fear of relapse. We will fight for a cure until no other kids are robbed of their childhood, no other siblings lose their best friends, and no other parents have to bury their babies." "Garrett endured nine months of hell before he lost his battle with cancer. During that time 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." A GoFundMe has been started to help Garrett's parents cover his medical costs, funeral and any future expenses they may face.<doc-sep>If this lighthearted obituary seems like it could have been written by a child, that's because it was. Five-year-old Garrett Michael Matthias, aka “The Great Garrett Underpants," of Iowa wrote his own words for friends and family to remember him shortly before he died of cancer. "I want to be burned (like when Thor’s Mommy died) and made into a tree so I can live in it when I’m a gorilla,” Garrett wrote of how he wanted his remains to be handled. In his final farewell, he wrote about his favorite superheroes — Batman, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk and Cyborg — and how he wanted to be a professional boxer when he grows up. He also lists the things he hates: "Pants!, dirty stupid cancer, when they access my port, needles, and the monkey nose that smells like cherry farts." Little Garrett was diagnosed with alveolar fusion negative rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, last September. He underwent aggressive radiation and chemotherapy treatment before they discovered the cancer was resistant to treatment and spread quickly to other parts of his body, according to a GoFundMe page created in his honor. Planning ahead, Garrett wrote, “I want 5 bouncy houses (because I’m 5), Batman and snow cones,” instead of a traditional funeral because “funerals are sad.” Little Garrett even wrapped it up with a snarky farewell: "See ya later, suckas!" RELATED STORIES<doc-sep>
Family members are mourning the death of a 5-year-old boy who lost his battle with pediatric cancer.With the help of his parents, Garrett prepared his own obituary to tell the world just what kind of a kid he was. He was diagnosed with cancer nine months ago and died last Friday. "What really bothered me was he always asked, 'Why am I always sick?'" his mother, Emilie Matthias, said.Those were words that broke Ryan and Emilie Matthias' heart for nearly a year. "We never necessarily talked about his funeral so we never had the conversation with him that he was going to die, but we had a lot of conversations around it," Emilie told WPLG Garrett, a superhero fan and a lover of thrash metal music, was perhaps better known as Great Garrett Underpants. He was not a typical kid. His obituary is a reflection of that. "When I read it, I was thinking 'Wow, sounds like Garrett just yapping at me,'" Ryan said.Garrett detailed all the things he loved and all that he didn't. He hated pants and needles and the illness.Garrett made also some final requests: "No funeral, because those are sad. "Instead he wants a party with five bounce houses, one for each year he lived, a visit from Batman and his favorite treat, snow cones.The most unique request was a symbolic burial ceremony. "I want to be burned (like when Thor's Mommy died) and made into a tree so I can live in it when I'm a gorilla," Garrett told his parents. "We've cried oceans of tears in the last nine months and I think this is one of the things that we can do to make his day," Emilie said.Garrett's celebration of life took place Saturday.