Matthew Stanford Robison Memorial
40°46′37″N 111°51′32″W / 40.77694°N 111.85889°W | |
Location | Salt Lake City Cemetery WEST_6_130_1W |
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Designer | Ernest Robison |
Height | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
Beginning date | 21 February 1999 |
Completion date | 2000 |
Dedicated to | Matthew Stanford Robison |
Website | Ability Fund Non-Profit |
The Matthew Stanford Robison Memorial is a gravesite marker located in Salt Lake City Cemetery. It was designed by 10 year old Matthew Stanford Robison's father Ernest Robison.[2] Matthews parents decided to make his gravesite a place of joy and inspiration.[3] The memorial depicts a boy standing up from his wheelchair and raising his left hand toward the sky.[4][5]
Background
Matthew Stanford Robison was born with disabilities on September 23, 1988 in Salt Lake City, Utah[6] to parents Ernest and Anneke Robison.[3] He was not expected to live.[6] The boy did not get enough oxygen at birth and was blind and partially paralyzed, he lived ten years.[2]
The Robisons started a Nonprofit organization called The Ability Fund in 1993, to help people with disabilities buy equipment. The non-profit helps those with Cerebral palsy, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, stroke, cancer and traumatic injuries.[3] The foundation sells replicas of the boy's tombstone memorial.[7]
Mathhew's father decided to make a memorial to his son in 2000. The statue on the gravesite depicts Matthew Stanford Robison rising up out of his wheelchair and reaching skyward. The memorial is meant to depict the child in the afterlife free from his earthly afflictions.[2] A photo of the memorial and part of the obituary was shared on Reddit and went viral. The gravesite had been a Utah tourist attraction appearing on several travel websites as a place to visit.[8]
See also
- Birth defect
- Hypoxia (medical)
- List of congenital disorders
- List of burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery
- Memorial
References
- ^ "Our Inspiration". abilityfound.org. Ability Found. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ a b c Belletti, Paola (March 5, 2020). "Matthew: a disabled child who gave love and joy while alive and continues to do so from Heaven!". Aleteia SAS. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ a b c Goldberg, Eleanor (December 6, 2017). "Tombstone That Dad Designed For Son Who Had Disabilities Captures Boy's Tenacious Spirit". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ Chakrabarti, Suchandrika (August 26, 2016). "Dad commemorates young son who died in his sleep with heartbreakingly lovely statue". Daily Mirror. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ Hansol, Kim (May 3, 2020). "A Statue Made by a Mother and Dad for an 11 year-old son who has died in a wheelchair for the rest of his life". Insight. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ a b "Obituary: Matthew Stanford Robison". Deseret News Publishing Company. February 23, 1999. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ Stewart, Jessica (May 19, 2017). "Grieving Father Creates Touching Memorial for His Disabled Son". My Modern Met. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ Santoro, Alessia (May 19, 2017). "A Child's Tombstone Designed by His Dad Is Going Viral". Group Nine Media Inc. Retrieved October 4, 2020.