歪歪漫画

SACRED HEART, Minn. 鈥� Not quite a year after he returned to his hometown and opened his own bioresearch company, Eric Mahlum lost his life at age 37 in a vehicle accident on Oct. 7, 2015.

His passion was cancer research, said his father, Steve Mahlum.

Eric held a master鈥檚 degree in molecular biology from Mankato State University and was a graduate of a Mayo Graduate 歪歪漫画 master's program in 2012. He worked as part of a research team looking at how to cross the blood-brain barrier to treat brain cancers.

Now, his father hopes that his son鈥檚 legacy will be to help raise funds for cancer charities in two countries, the United States and United Kingdom. Eric鈥檚 Wish on the website aims to benefit the Renville County Walk in the Park and the Brain Tumour Research Campaign in the UK.

Two CDs produced by musicians from the two countries, one focused on Christmas music and the other rock 'n' roll and a variety of music, are offered on the website. Music from a variety of musicians can also be downloaded on the site. The musicians donated their works, and every penny (or pence) beyond the costs of producing and mailing the CDs will be donated to the charities on a 50/50 basis, according to Malhum.

Let鈥檚 just say this is what happens when a son leaves behind woodworking tools to a father who also happens to be a lifelong musician. Steve Mahlum has been a musician since 1965 and currently plays in the .

After his son鈥檚 death, Mahlum said he and his wife decided to donate their son鈥檚 laboratory equipment to a St. Paul-based charity, . Eric also had a collection of woodworking tools. About two years ago, Steve said he began using them to build planters at his home in Sacred Heart.

With no background whatsoever in carpentry, Steve said he began working away. Without any original intent to do so, he began building what has become Eric鈥檚 Shed on his property. He posted a photo of the shed and its story on social media, and it brought a response from a woman in England, Melanie Tucker.

Mahlum said Tucker owns a landscape company. The image of the shed had caught her attention, as did the narrative on how the loss of his son had inspired the shed. She had lost her mother to cancer. Tucker is also a musician, and connected to many UK musicians, said Mahlum.

Unable to perform before audiences and frankly, 鈥渟tir crazy鈥� from the forced isolation of COVID-19, Mahlum said the two began discussing the idea of a fundraiser by musicians for cancer research in Eric鈥檚 name.

Eric鈥檚 Wish is the result. The website is newly launched. Mahlum said it鈥檚 hard to know how it will go, but he said the response from musicians has been incredible.

Mahlum said he鈥檚 certain that Eric would be putting his talents to work in some form to stop COVID-19 if he were still alive. He feels the fundraiser is a fitting legacy for a son taken away far too young.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a good guy and I miss him a lot,鈥� he said.