The family visited an insect zoo, and Colton seemed to be his usual rambunctious self. The beginning of the trip passed without incident. Sonja called Todd to let him know that she and the kids were on their way to Colorado. Todd worried that the trip might be off, but, by the next day, Colton had seemingly recovered.

A local doctor diagnosed him with stomach flu. However, on February 27th, just before Sonja and the kids were due to set off, Colton got sick with stomach pains, a fever, and chills. Todd left for Colorado first, expecting the rest of his family to join him in a few days. So when, in late February, he was invited to Greeley, Colorado for a church board meeting, he decided to bring his wife, Sonja, and kids, Cassie (aged 6) and Colton (aged 3 years, 10 months), along too. This was the beginning of Colton Burpo’s story. Todd thought a family trip would be just the thing to lift everyone’s spirits. While unwell, he’d been unable to continue his work as a garage door installer, leaving the Burpo family’s finances precarious. He’d experienced a number of health issues, including a badly broken leg, kidney stones, and a breast cancer scare. The months leading up to February 2003 had been difficult for Nebraskan pastor and father-of-two Todd Burpo. But do you know the full Colton Burpo story? These are the events that led to Colton’s divine experience. You may have heard of the story Heaven Is for Real, where a young child visits heaven. This is Colton Burpo’s story of misdiagnosed appendicitis. The doctors didn’t think he was going to survive. Colton wasn’t even four-years-old when he fell seriously ill. In Pastor Todd Burpo’s book Heaven Is for Real, he shares the events that happened to his son, Colton, that led to his visit to Heaven. Why did Colton visit Heaven? What is the beginning of the Colton Burpo story? What was Colton’s death-experience? Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to 'Heaven Is For Real' by Todd Burpo.

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