Custom Coffin Maker Comes Through For Families Of Texas Shooting Victims

May 31, 2022, 4:10 PM

Eliahna Torres in softball unifrom holding up bat outside of school

TikTok | @lauramorales9853

A small business that's received acclaim for crafting custom caskets has gone above and beyond to make personalized coffins for nearly everyone who lost their lives in the school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas.

Over the past week, the nation has reeled over the tragedy that struck Robb Elementary School and while some are in a desperate search for answers to finally put America's enduring trend of mass shootings to an end, others are trying to bring the affected families as much comfort as possible.

And since we've already seen a heartbreaking example of how devastating the shooting has been for the victims' loved ones, that care has been sorely needed as survivors try to weather this new storm in their lives.

Although one father-son duo's contribution to relief efforts for them is a profoundly sad one, that doesn't make it any less important or appreciated.

Over the last 11 years, Trey Ganem has used the skills he honed building custom cars to provide grieving families with personalized caskets instead.

Billy Ganem building custom coffin with cordless drill as part of father's business, SoulShine Industries

instagram | @soulshine_industries

According to BuzzFeed News, his son Billy (pictured) would join him in 2016 and together, they would fulfill this cathartic mission under the name Soulshine Industries.

And while they felt compelled to respond to the school shooting that devastated Uvalde, that sadly doesn't mark the first time they've filled such a grim order.

Back in 2017, they felt exhausted after working to accommodate the families of the 26 parishioners who died during a church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, but also hopeful that they lightened a crushing burden for them.

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Although the Ganems sometimes get special requests from their clients, they try to get a sense of the deceased's interests from their families when that doesn't happen.

Eliahna Torres in softball unifrom holding up bat outside of school with memorial message superimposed over her

TikTok | @lauramorales9853

For instance, 10-year-old Eliahna Torres was a contender for her city's all-star Little League team, but also had an affinity for llamas and was always excited about trying out the latest trends on TikTok.

So for her, Soulshine Industries came up with a design adorned with llamas, TikTok's logo, and a splash of neon yellow that represented her love of softball.

In Ganem's words, "I take away something from every experience with a family because when they're explaining stuff about their child, they light up. It’s like, ‘Oh, by the way, he loved this,' you know?”

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All told, Ganem, his son, and a team of a dozen volunteers from throughout Texas would build 19 of these custom caskets for 18 of the slain children and one of the teachers.

instagram | @soulshine_industries

Although coffins like these would normally cost between $3,400 and $3,800 apiece, the Ganems offered their services free of charge.

As the younger Ganem said, "We’re here to try to make a hard time a little easier. There’s nothing we can really ever do to make it easier, but that’s our goal: to help the families ... start their grieving and their healing and just try to make something special for them.”

Nonetheless, it was hard and risky work for both them and their supplier in Griffin, Georgia as the sudden need for child-sized coffins could have jeopardized deliveries for funerals already scheduled that week.

However, their manufacturer ended up working for 20 hours straight to ensure the orders would be filled and Ganem's friend Bubba Hoffman hired a trucking company to handle the job of transporting them 26 hours to SoulShine's workshop in Edna, Texas.

instagram | @soulshine_industries

Once those caskets came in at 2 am on Friday May 27, the Ganems and their helpers worked nonstop and only caught a couple of hours of sleep to ensure the caskets would be ready for the following day.

Sure enough, eight of them would be personally delivered to Uvalde on May 28 after a three-and-a-half hour drive, while the remaining 11 were expected to arrive on Sunday.

In Ganem's words, "It has been an extremely emotional roller coaster for me."

h/t: Buzzfeed News