WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WTHR) — New Year's Day means different things to different people. Most of us celebrate the year that ended and rejoice in the year to come, but some of us mourn the memories of what we lost. For Tony and Kelly Trent this day will always be the day their 20-year-old son lost his fight with cancer.
"It's a hard day. A bittersweet day for us. It is one of those situations where in most peoples minds you are thinking about New Year's resolutions. For Kelly and I it's a day to reflect on Tyler's life but also think about the impact that Tyler had," Tony Trent said.
"While it is a hard day and sad day, it's a good day to think back on all that he did and how he lived and to remind ourselves are we honoring him in how we live? It's been real neat to receive all the texts I have gotten. The outpouring of love we have been given through social media and texts has been helpful," Kelly Trent said.
It was October 27, 2018 when Tyler's story went nationwide. That is when his beloved Boilers upset Ohio State in West Lafayette.
"I often wonder if Purdue had lost what trajectory would Tyler's life had taken. I don't know. We do think about that. That was a pivotal part in Tyler's story and journey for sure," Kelly said.
The Trents remember that night and all the love they were shown, not only from Boiler nation but from Ohio State fans as well.
The surprising thing to both of them is how Tyler's spirit lives on in research.
"It's a sobering thought to go to a research center and see what they are doing with his cells and look into a microscope and see his cells move," Tony said.
His legacy is not limited to this country.
"A friend was in the Cayman Islands and a man was at the pool reading Upset. Tyler's book. In the Cayman Islands! We often say the miracle isn't that he was healed physically, but the miracle is what God did with his life. Where it's gone and what he accomplished in life and death," Kelly said.
All the profits from the sale of Tyler's book go for cancer research.