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It's easy to see why he's being described as a saint – amid the darkness of the Ulvade school shooting in Texas, Trey Ganem has brought relief to some of the victims' families.
Trey, who runs a custom casket business, donated 18 child coffins and one adult coffin. Two of the 21 victims had already been laid to rest.
The children are being buried in superhero- or dinosaur-themed coffins that reflect their personality, hobbies or interests in life.
READ MORE| Coffins to die for: this man designs quirky custom-made coffins to lighten moods at funerals
Before he got to work, the businessman spent time with the families to get to know each child.
"Being able to go to the homes is something that's emotional for me," he says.
Yet doing so helped him keep their spirit alive.
"It's not a box anymore. It's a beautiful creation that represents the loved ones," he says.
The father of three used to build custom cars for a living but after the death of a close friend, turned his hand to coffins to make them more personal.
When news of the Uvalde massacre broke, Trey knew he needed to lend a hand.
After meeting the families, he and his team from SoulShine Industries spent the entire weekend working on the coffins ahead of the funerals this week.
Due to a shortage of children's coffins locally, the 19 caskets were only delivered on Friday from a manufacturer in Georgia.
Trey and a dozen volunteers then set to work designing and painting the coffins.
The team worked around the clock to finish the 19 coffins in three days.
"It’s a blessing to see a family with a smile on their face at a tragic time," Trey says.
SOURCES: BUZZFEED NEWS, SOULSHINE INDUSTRIES, FACEBOOK
