Matthew Stanford Robinson was born in 1988. He was born blind and paralysed from the neck down when he came into the world, but he didn’t let that stop him.
Doctors explained to Ernest and Anneke that their boy might only live a few hours.
But Matthew exceeded the doctors’ expectations. He went on to live a life full of love.
Although he could only speak a few words, Matthew continued to inspire his family and the community where he lived.
On Sunday, February 21, 1999, Matthew passed away in his sleep.
The church that held the funeral service was filled from wall to wall with people.
In 2000, Ernest decided to build a tombstone, in memory of his son, at Salt Lake City Cemetery. He wanted to create something different and unique, and provide something that would stand out, even in the graveyard.
He wrote the simplest of inscriptions at the base of the tombstone.
But the top is a different thing entirely.
The upper part of the sculpture is a fantastic carving of a boy rising from his wheelchair with his hands towards the sky.
Matthew is depicted as “free from his burdens”.
The gravestone became a symbol of hope and inspiration; a mark against sorrow and dark thoughts.
Matthew’s statue, which has since been visited by millions of people around the world, offers light and embodies courage.
Many people get such feelings when they visit Matthew’s grave.
“One day while driving around doing research at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, I spotted this beautiful headstone and memorial. It immediately brought tears to my eyes, and continues to every time I visit it. Never before had I come across such a touching statue that tells so much just at first glance,” Enjoy Utah reads.
Inspired by his son, Ernest and Anneke established a charity.
It collects money for children who would otherwise go without. The organisation helps the less fortunate; people with conditions such as cerebral palsy, cancer, spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis.
The way Ernest and Anneke see it, helping others makes it possible for them to honor Matthew’s incredible contributions to their lives.
It truly is an incredible tombstone that Ernest made for his son. It symbolises so much!
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