Who Was Tripp Halstead? What Happened To Him and What Did He Die of?

March 15th of every year will always bring back fresh memories of Tripp Halstead, not just to his family members but to millions of people across the world, especially those who followed his story from the very day he had an accident. Although his story is nothing anybody would love to hear, the 7-year-old Georgian boy inspired millions of people on the need for one to keep fighting until their very last breath. Even after his death, his courage still has a way of touching the hearts of people who come in contact with his life story. Read on to know more about the life and death of Tripp.

Early Life

Tripp Hughes Halstead was born in Georgia on the 11th of September 2010. He is the only child of his mother Stacy and his father Bill Halstead. His parents met for the first time in 2006 and their meeting was made possible by a mutual friend. After a short dating period, they got married in 2007 in Asheville, North Carolina. When it was time to raise kids, Bill and his wife moved to Georgia where Stacy’s family, including her sister Crystal, reside. Tripp was then conceived through the help of a fertility specialist. Although Stacy had a terrifying pregnancy period, it was yet a happy period for her after about two years of trying to conceive. Nine months after, the little lad was welcomed into the Halstead family. Tripp hadn’t started his education before his death but he was a very active kid and extremely friendly.

What Happened To Him?

It all began on October 29, 2012, when, like every other day, Stacy took her son to his daycare centre called Cribs to Crayons. There was a strong wind from Hurricane Sandy and the toddler was outside the daycare playing with the rest of the children when suddenly, a tree branch broke off and fell directly on him. Unconscious, Tripp was first rushed to a local hospital but was later flown to a children hospital in Atlanta and doctors discovered that he had extensive brain damage; his swollen brain caused his whole body to shut down. Surgeries were carried out with little faith in his survival. But Tripp did survive after all.

While waiting for his recovery from the surgeries, Stacy’s friend Katie Riney decided to start a Facebook page where she shared Tripp’s story and as expected, the news was all over Atlanta. With over a million people following his story, Katie made sure she keeps the world updated on his wellbeing. The news was soon picked up by cable media and with the news spreading, Tripp had millions of Americans praying for his speedy recovery and his parents received support mostly from unknown people who got his story on the media.

Tripp survived the initial surgeries but he still had too many swellings in his internal organs. After years of treatment, he eventually learned how to talk again in 2015. He spent about a month in the ICU before he was moved to a rehabilitation facility across town and for the very first time in several months, Stacy and Bill were able to hold their child in their arms, play with him and even feed him. The couple sold off all they had, including their home in Winder just to keep up with their son’s hospital bills, attend to his special needs and buy his wheelchair. Different charities sprang up to give a supporting hand to the Halsteads. Among them is “Ride to Give,” which was started by Kaete Nazaroff and it raised over $200,000 for Tripp. Tripp went home with his parents and his maternal grandparents Larry and Connie on March 29, 2013, for the first time since the accident. He had undergone over twenty surgeries.

 

What Did He Die of?

Everything was almost settled for the Halsteads with Tripp getting back his health five years after the horrifying incident of October 29, 2012. His smiles, laughter, and giggles were more frequent and he even returned to school. Reality eventually set in when Stacy discovered her son was having difficulty in breathing. He was once again rushed to Atlanta hospital where doctors discovered his left lungs was cloudy and needed a Bronchial washing (bronchoscopy). Once again, Stacy updated her fans on Tripp’s Facebook page but unknown to his supporters, that was all they would hear about the kid before the sad news of his death.

Tripp Halstead passed away at around 5:47 p.m. on March 15, 2018, after he was transferred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). According to the doctor’s report, he died of pneumonia or mucus in his lungs. Trip died when he was just seven years old, his mother confirmed his death on both Facebook and on various cable stations that followed his story.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.

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