An artist from Texas is doing his best to ensure that the funerals of the 19 children who died in last week’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, get a personal touch.
Trey Ganem who owns SoulShine Industries in Edna, Texas, and his son paints custom-made caskets for the families of the children killed in the mass shooting, according to BuzzFeed.
For example, a coffin made for Eliahna Torres will reflect her love for llamas, TikTok and softball.
“No family should bury a child,” Ganem told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. “We do not only paint boxes here; we represent the lives of the people who have passed by. “
The small baby coffins were made in Georgia before being sent to Ganem’s store to be painted, according to CNN.
Before he started working on the coffins, Ganem talked to each family to gather details about their child.
“We made one with a dinosaur holding a flashlight and a pickle. And when the families tell us, we think, ‘Wait, did you just tell me about a flashlight, a dinosaur and a pickle?’ and they giggle, but for whatever reason, it was very special to them, ”Ganem explained to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
Ganem said it costs to paint each coffin between $ 3,400 and $ 3,800, and that except for a few donations, his company has paid for everything.
“I did not even think twice when I was asked to do so and God always takes care of us,” he told CNN.
Unfortunately, Ganem has experience in making the custom chests after mass shootings.
He has previously made bespoke coffins for the victims of the mass shootings in 2017 Sutherland Springs and Las Vegas.
You can watch Ganem discuss his work in the video below.
