11-year-old boy keeps late father's memory alive through special Halloween tradition

Halloween decorations are an integral part of the holiday. Some families give it all they have and even form their own Halloween traditions, which serve as beautiful bonding experiences for all the family members. A Chicago suburban family has been working to keep their tradition alive this spooky holiday even after suffering a heartbreaking loss earlier this year. Their yard now features a spectacular display of scary decorations, complete with skeletons and coffins in keeping with their graveyard theme.

However, what really takes your breath away is the fact that an 11-year-old is responsible for all the wiring, programming and welding that went into this stunning spectacle. For Gavin Sciackitano, the incredible effort he put into it wasn't just to celebrate his love for Halloween, but also for the love he has for his late father, Jeff. Gavin took to decorating his house as a homage to his dad who passed away in April this year after an eight-year-long fight with cancer. Jeff used to go all out with over-the-top decorations for the holiday and young Gavin wanted to keep his memory alive by doing the same even in his absence, reports NBC News. 

This family has a long emotional connection with the holiday as Gavin's parents got engaged on Halloween night. However, after Jeff passed away, Gavin's mother Denise thought of skipping the festivities this year. She soon realized that her son needed to celebrate the holiday to cope with his grief. "The morning Jeff passed away, Gavin went outside and wanted to start putting some Halloween out. So, it was just his way to connect with what was going on. So, I think Halloween just makes him feel closer to Jeff," she told the network. "This is part of his way of honoring his dad."

Gavin's decorations are so good that even people from nearby towns flock to his house to see them. When news of the display reached Daniel Suarez at the local Home Depot, he offered the youngster the opportunity to pick anything from his store. Suarez also lost his father this year and connected with Gavin's cause on a personal level. "Fill up this cart with whatever you want," he told Gavin, Suarez recalled.

The young boy's heartwarming efforts to stay connected to his father through Halloween have touched the hearts of many people on the internet. A person commented on Youtube: "This is so awesome that this youngster is carrying on this tradition that he and his late father did. Very heartwarming." Another added, "God Bless You Gavin, and your Mom for celebrating your Dad’s Favorite Holiday." In another instance of Halloween strengthening familial bonds, a mother from Virginia did a spooky Halloween shoot with her young kids and the results were amazing. Elizabeth Whitley and her husband accompanied their kids Ezra and Jonas—who were two and four respectively at the time of the photoshoot—to a historic graveyard for staging the stunning photographs. The now-viral photos show the two lads wearing denim overalls and standing in the fog-filled graveyard while tombstones and an ancient townhouse form the backdrop. The lads put on straight expressions, and special effects turned their eyes red, making them look like zombies. These adorable zombies were a visual treat to everyone that saw the Whitley family's photos.