Father had to dig his son's grave

A Baton Rouge, Louisiana teen who lost his battle with cancer was laid to rest in a grave dug by his own father.

"I had to dig the grave myself with these two hands," said Melvin Critney, Sr.

Fifteen-year-old Melvin Critney, Jr. had stage four cancer. He was a sophomore at Scotlandville high school. His parents did everything they could to help him get better.

The Critneys say money is tight and they weren't prepared to plan a funeral.
But the funeral home demanded the five thousand dollar funeral to be paid in full.

With five other children to support it was the kind of money the family just didn't have.
So Melvin Senior took a shovel and started doing the work himself, he says the funeral home only knocked off $300 from the bill.

That's when the state troopers association said this family has suffered enough. Every year, "Troopers Charities" raises money to grant wishes to terminally ill kids.

The funeral was held Monday; the family says it was a beautiful ceremony.