This week in Christian history: Isaac Backus born, near-death experience recanted
'The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven' recanted – Jan. 13, 2015
This week marks the anniversary of when Alex Malarkey, whose near-death experience account served as the basis for the bestselling book The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven, recanted his testimony.
In 2004, a then 6-year-old Alex Malarkey was in a horrific car accident that resulted in him sustaining severe injuries and being in a coma for around two months. After waking up, he had claimed that he had visited Heaven.
However, in a 2015 letter titled “An Open Letter to LifeWay and Other Sellers, Buyers, and Marketers of Heaven Tourism, by the Boy Who Did Not Come Back From Heaven,” Malarkey recanted the story.
“I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible,” he wrote.
“People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth.”
Shortly after the letter was made public, LifeWay Christian Stores announced it would be pulling the book, while Tyndale House, which had published the book, agreed to stop selling it.
In 2022, Alex's mother, Beth, asked the public to pray for her family after she and her quadriplegic son were evicted from their home by her ex-husband.
Alex was left a quadriplegic following the 2004 car accident.
A GoFundMe campaign organized by Kristina Bright to help Beth and Alex move into a more functional home for Alex raised over $131,551.
Bright said while the Malarkeys' new home isn’t permanent, it will do for now.
“This new home is showing them what will and will not work when they get their permanent home,” Bright wrote. “We do not know how long this part of the journey will be, we need to see what the father decides to do and when.”
