When Colton Burpo was 4, he suffered a medical emergency that left him unconscious and near death on an emergency room table. Colton’s parents, Todd and Sonja, were desperate. They prayed around the clock for Colton, pleading with God to save his life. They enlisted the emotional and prayer support of their church family, relatives, and friends. They began to prepare themselves for the worst.
And then, miraculously, Colton recovered.
In the weeks and months that followed, Colton began to matter-of-factly tell his parents about his trip to heaven. His statements caught Todd and Sonja off guard at first, but they just attributed it to the trauma their little boy had endured. But Colton was persistent—and he described things he could not have known about heaven. He described details that a young child typically wouldn’t know or understand. He was even recalling things that only have an obscure mention in the Bible. Colton said he’d met family members he’d never known—like his grandfather who died before he was born and a sister who’d died in utero. Colton’s parents had never told him about his sister before.
Colton knew he'd been to heaven—and now, so did his parents. He had some important things to say, messages he felt certain he was supposed to share. One of those messages? Jesus really, really loves kids.
After listening to Colton’s stories and seeing his strong desire to tell people about what he’d experienced and the messages he’d come back with, the Burpos decided they would help Colton tell his story by writing the book Heaven is for Real. That book has since touched millions of lives.
