# The Boy Who Didn't Come Back From Heaven **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008 "2015-01-16T18:44:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/1 "2015-01-16T18:44:39Z")
[Story here.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/01/15/boy-who-came-back-from-heaven-going-back-to-publisher/?hpid=z5) > [@](#): > > Tyndale House, a major Christian publisher, has announced that it will stop selling “The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven,” by Alex Malarkey and his father, Kevin Malarkey. > > The best-selling book, first published in 2010, describes what Alex experienced while he lay in a coma after a car accident when he was 6 years old. The coma lasted two months, and his injuries left him paralyzed, but the subsequent spiritual memoir — with its assuring description of “Miracles, Angels, and Life beyond This World” — became part of a popular genre of “heavenly tourism,” which has been controversial among orthodox Christians. > > Earlier this week, Alex recanted his testimony about the afterlife. In an open letter to Christian bookstores posted on the Pulpit and Pen Web site, Alex states flatly: “I did not die. I did not go to Heaven.” You mean it was all a load of malarkey? Say it ain’t so, Alex! Didn’t they make a movie about this nonsense or was that about another kid who came back from Heaven? It’s difficult to keep track of all the kids [del]cashing in[/del] coming back through the Pearly Gates. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/2 "2015-01-16T18:46:43Z")
That movie was based on a different book, but just as credible. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/3 "2015-01-16T18:47:01Z")
The “Heaven is for Real” one is a different kid. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/4 "2015-01-16T18:49:34Z")
Malarkey? Or effective way? ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/5 "2015-01-16T19:07:44Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Didn’t they make a movie about this nonsense or was that about another kid who came back from Heaven?. You’re thinking of the Shenanigans. ---
**Author:** ![Randolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Randolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randolph)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/6 "2015-01-16T19:39:52Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > Malarkey? Or effective way? The asshole thread is in the pit. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/7 "2015-01-16T19:46:06Z")
I was reading about this and saw that the child has recanted before. It is purely a money grab on behalf of the adults around him. He’s tried to get attention but no one listens. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/8 "2015-01-16T19:48:57Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > It is purely a money grab on behalf of the adults around him. Specifically, his father, sounds like. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/9 "2015-01-16T19:56:02Z")
I was suspicious when they said he floated to heaven in a helium balloon. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/10 "2015-01-16T21:13:41Z")
Oh good, I’m glad this was straightened out, I was worried there for a while. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/11 "2015-01-16T21:45:22Z")
It seems like this is the result of a bitter divorce. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/12 "2018-04-11T21:40:59Z")
[The Boy Who Didn’t Get Paid For Not Coming Back From Heaven](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2018/04/11/subject-of-fake-heaven-book-sues-christian-publisher-for-never-paying-him/). ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/13 "2018-04-11T22:14:27Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [The Boy Who Didn’t Get Paid For Not Coming Back From Heaven](http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2018/04/11/subject-of-fake-heaven-book-sues-christian-publisher-for-never-paying-him/). The book cover looks like a fake movie poster you would see on a sitcom. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/14 "2018-04-11T22:55:56Z")
The other popular kid-who-went-to-Heaven was Todd Burpo (not a wonder mutt). ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/15 "2018-04-11T23:07:32Z")
Heh, that’s unfortunate for him. Now when does die he’s gonna be real surprised. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/16 "2022-09-30T22:14:50Z")
The story gets worse. The sperm donor, who now lives in Colorado with the other 3 children (and claims to be a “Christian” therapist) is legally able to evict Alex and his mother from their home, and is in the midst of doing so. Here’s his Facebook page where you can leave a PM (I did) although you can’t post unless you’re a “friend.” Not surprisingly, there are no pictures of Alex on said FB page. A marriage ending, that I get. Abandoning a disabled child and rendering him and his mother homeless? That, I don’t. > **[Log into Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/kevin.malarkey.5)** > > Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. This pastor is quite fundie, it turns out, but it showed up on my YouTube wall, if you will, and this is where I found out about it. The pastor has cerebral palsy himself, although he’s nowhere near as severely disabled as Alex. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/HQUTDCYzPCQ/hqdefault.jpg "Help for Alex") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQUTDCYzPCQ) I almost wonder if the “accident” was actually a murder/suicide attempt. The only current story I could find online is paywalled. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-boy-who-didnt-come-back-from-heaven/710008/17 "2022-09-30T22:23:38Z")
Actually, Todd is the father of Colton Burpo, who claimed that he too went to heaven when he was critically ill with a burst appendix at age 4. Colton did make a full recovery, and the most recent reports say that he did go to Bible college for a while, but he’s studying to be an electrician.