Family Hopes to Send 11-Year-Old Son's Ashes to the Moon to Make His 'Greatest Dream' Come True
Courtesy of Scott Gallagher
A Florida family hopes to make their late son's "one dream" come true by sending his ashes to the moon.
Matthew Gallagher, 11, of Polk County, died unexpectedly in May, according to FOX affiliate WTVT and ABC affiliate WFTS-TV.
Scott and Cori Gallagher, Matthew's parents, have since decided to honor their son by sending his ashes to the moon through Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, per the outlets.
"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 tells PEOPLE.
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Courtesy of Scott Gallagher Matthew Gallagher sitting in the cockpit of a plane
To do so, the Gallaghers are raising money via GoFundMe to cover the flight, which has a starting price of $12,500, according to the Spaceflights website.
As of Thursday more than $11,000 has been raised toward the fundraiser's $14,000 goal.
"We knew that our only real way to honor him was to somehow get him to space," Cori tells PEOPLE.
Courtesy of Scott Gallagher
In addition to being "a silly and loving kid," Cori says Matthew had an "extreme love" for space, including, "NASA, SpaceX, anything Elon Musk, and flying." She believes her son "knew from a young age he belonged in the sky," as well.
Scott tells PEOPLE their son was even "registered for space camp this summer" at Kennedy Space Center — and "was ecstatic" about it.
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Courtesy of Scott Gallagher Matthew Gallagher inside a space capsule
The Destiny Flight will bring Matthew's remains to the moon in a "personal flight capsule," according to the company's website. Loved ones are also invited to attend the rocket's launch and tour of the launch site prior to takeoff.
The flight is scheduled to launch in 2023, per WFTS-TV.
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Courtesy Scott Gallagher Matthew Gallagher wearing a NASA suit
Scott and Cori tell PEOPLE they are grateful for the support they've received from the community since telling their story.
This is "the greatest way to fulfill his greatest dream," Scott says.
