We are deeply saddened and heartbroken over the passing of our Tryston.  Tryston was a sweet and caring soul that was loved by all.  He loved ministering to children (at our church, Rocky Creek Baptist Church and on the baseball ballfield coaching at Mauldin Rec) and loved his family and friends dearly.  Tryston graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in May of ’21 from Clemson University and he started work immediately at Eastern Power Technologies.  He loved working at Eastern and loved all of the people he worked with…it truly felt like home to Tryston, and he was so excited about his future with the company…he was so proud, and we were so happy for him.  

Tryston was originally diagnosed with stage IIIc testicular cancer on 10/29/21 after a short unexplained illness.  Upon receiving the initial diagnosis, we were devastated as a family, but we were ready to fight.  Tryston received a CT scan on 11/1/21 that revealed that the cancer had spread to his abdomen, back, and liver but he was undeterred…he trusted in the plan God had for him.  Unfortunately, we never really got to start the battle.  After ~2 weeks of surgery and preparing for the grueling chemo regime planned for his diagnosis, Tryston became ill and passed away on 11/13/21 at the age of 23.  We prayed, begged, and even cried out to God repeatedly not to take our Tryston.  Unfortunately, He did not listen the way we wanted Him to.  We were devastated, broken and did not understand.   But this is not the end of Tryston’s story…

Tryston loved Jesus.  He was saved and baptized at our church home at Rocky Creek Baptist Church, and he loved to minister to children.  He was loved by all and he was the best friend to every single member of our family.  God gave us Tryston and we had the privilege and honor to spend 23 precious years with him.  For that we are so thankful.  We also truly believe that God has a plan and didn’t want Tryston to suffer and decided to take him home...to Heaven... where Tryston is now glorifying his Savior.  But this is not the end of Tryston’s story…

God always has a plan.  John 3:16:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  We have hope and we have faith.  We will never forget our Tryston and we will struggle every day and miss him dearly, but we also believe in God’s plan and are ready to serve.  God is leading us through this tragedy, and we feel honored to be a part of Tryston’s Hope.  This initiative will focus on continuing Tryston’s ministry of bringing children and families to Christ.  It will also create a support team to be there for families impacted by cancer.  Please visit Tryston’s Hope page on Facebook. We will use this platform to communicate the work that God has in store for Tryston's Hope Ministry in the face of this tragedy.  We have hope and Tryston’s story will continue…

One final (and most important) note…Jesus loves you.  He is here for you and He is there for Tryston!  If you have not developed a relationship with Jesus, please consider reaching out to someone who will walk with you.  We would love to help with your journey.

Thank you to all and God Bless!  

The Crawford's - Kevin, Melissa, Addison, and Kaden Jon

Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.