She told me she was glad to have someone from her family up there'
A boy who almost died from a ruptured appendix has said he met the dead sister he did not know existed.
The extraordinary claims by Colton Burpo, aged four, came after he was misdiagnosed with flu while his family, from Imperial, Nebraska, were on a trip to Colorado. By the time they returned home he was seriously ill and had to undergo emergency surgery twice.
While he was in the operating theatre his parents, Todd and Sonya, prayed, believing they were going to lose their son.
However, Colton soon recovered and then told his astonished parents that he had met the sister his mother had miscarried a year before his own birth.
What made this even more remarkable was his parents had never spoken to him about her.
The youngster said: 'She looked familiar and she started giving me hugs and told me she was glad to have someone from her family up there.
'She doesn't have a name though, she said they never gave her one. But she can't wait for her mom and dad to come to Heaven to meet her.'
He also described to his astonished parents how he had seen them praying.
His 41-year-old father said: 'I'm looking at him in the mirror, and he says that the angels sang to me. I looked and he is just dead serious.'
The child also claimed that he saw his great-grandfather, Pop, who had died more than 30 years before.
However, he didn't recognise Pop from a picture taken shortly before his death but from one of him as a young man.
Colton said that his visions became more vivid as time passed.
He said: 'I remember Jesus, there's streets of gold and a lot of colours. I sat on Jesus' lap and then I just felt safe. God, he is the biggest one in Heaven, he can hold the world in his hands.'
He even claims he saw a glimpse of Armageddon.
When asked the age-old question about what Heaven is like, Colton had a very specific description: 'Well, it’s all the colours of the rainbow, a place of beautiful shades and hues.
'The gates were made of gold and there were pearls on them. It never gets dark. It’s always bright.
'Everyone has wings and can fly except for Jesus, who hovers up and down. Everyone wears a white robe crossed by a sash of different colours and they have lights above their heads.'
Colton even described meeting John the Baptist, though without understanding who he was, having not yet learned about him in Sunday school.
He recalled being introduced to Christ’s cousin and Jesus told him that his cousin had baptised him.
The Burpos have written a book about the experience and Colton, now aged 11, continues to share his stories of Heaven.
Mr Burpo is a garage-door salesman who volunteers as a school wrestling coach and local fireman.
He is also pastor of the Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial and many wonder how much their religious home life may have influenced his son.
His schoolteacher wife Sonja, initially had their doubts about their son’s vivid post-operative recollections but her husband insists: 'I am convinced he was in Heaven.'
Colton is like any other 11-year-old, he likes music, wrestles and prays to the god he describes as being able to hold the world in his hands.
Publishing the book was not something Colton intended to do, but he said he again turned to God for an answer.
He prayed: 'God, if this is really you. I don't know how to publish a book. If you want me to do this you will have the publishing industry come to me.'
And they did. So far half a million books have been printed.
Book stores across the country are trying to get more copies. They are on e-book readers, audio tape and there is even talk of a movie.
Mr Burpo said: 'I don't know why He picked us. God did a remarkable miracle for us.'
