He was everyone’s little boy, as if he belonged to us all. And all over the world, people are mourning with his family.
Seven-year-old Tripp Halstead died on Thursday, five years and five months after a tree branch fell on him outside his day care in Winder, Ga. causing a severe brain injury.
Tripp’s fight to recover, marked by his parents' daily Facebook posts sharing all of his ups and downs, created a global family of supporters, cheering and praying for Tripp.
But Thursday night, his mother, Stacy, posted in her shock and grief that Tripp’s “little body was just done fighting this last infection. His little heart gave out.”
The below image turned out to be the next to last photo of Tripp Halstead that his mom, Stacy, posted of him on Facebook… it was on Thursday.
It was of Tripp, back in the hospital, this time with possible pneumonia. She wrote she was worried, but hopeful. But hours later, shocking everyone with this photo of Tripp before his accident.
Stacy wrote of their only child: “We are beyond devastated… our amazing, perfect, beautiful miracle of a son, Tripp Hughes Halstead, passed away…”
The image of Tripp that Stacy and Bill Halstead have always said defines him is the way Tripp was on his best days, smiling and responding with his eyelids and slowly re-learning how to speak. Getting better.
For five years and five months, Tripp Halstead fought to live. Teaching everyone--with a smile and, without being able to say a word--how to fight back from anything.
Stacy and Bill devoted their lives to helping Tripp recover.
Stacy documented every day on Facebook, every success and defeat on the family's Trip Halstead Updates page.
At last count, 1.4 million people around the world were following her posts, rooting for Tripp, offering encouragement, writing every day how Tripp was inspiring them.
PHOTOS: Tripp Halstead through the years
The family has not released any details of what exactly caused Tripp's death, but did release this statement (READ: Tripp Halstead's parents post message after boy's passing)
Funeral arrangement have been made for Tripp. Click here for the details.
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