Debbie Skaggs, the mother of the late Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, still finds herself speaking about her son in the present tense despite his death from a fentanyl overdose five years ago. Tyler was using oxycodone and relying on a fellow Angels employee for his supply, leading to his accidental overdose during a road trip to Texas. The employee, Eric Kay, was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in prison for his role in Skaggs’ death.
For those closest to Tyler, including his mother, father, wife Carli, and best friend Andrew Heaney, moving forward has been a struggle. Memories of Tyler still permeate their lives, with Debbie creating a shrine to her son in her home and Carli struggling with the daily emptiness of life without him. Heaney, who now plays for the Rangers, has faced difficulties dealing with the loss of his friend, especially as life milestones pass that they had planned to share.
Carli remembers Tyler’s proposal for starting a family just weeks before his death, and the life they had envisioned together. She now lives alone, having moved out of their shared home and taken off her wedding ring. Going to baseball games, once a huge part of her life, now brings anxiety. Carli remains focused on advocacy work for victims of crime but continues to feel the emptiness left by Tyler’s absence.
Debbie finds solace in daily conversations with her late son at the shrine she has created in her home. She continues to speak to Tyler, even without a response, as she navigates the ongoing legal battles and grief that have consumed her life since his death. The Angels face a wrongful death lawsuit from the Skaggs family, alleging that the organization knew or should have known about the drug supply that led to Tyler’s untimely demise.
Despite their anger towards the Angels, the Skaggs family’s feelings towards Eric Kay have softened over time. While they believe he played a role in Tyler’s death, they see no winning outcome in the legal proceedings. Instead, they choose to remember Tyler for the positive impact he had on those around him, through charity work, friendships, and memories of his time on the field. Tyler’s legacy lives on through charity work and the memories of those who knew and loved him.
Grief takes many forms for those who loved Tyler Skaggs, with each person processing their loss differently. While Carli struggles to look at photos, Debbie finds comfort in cherishing memories of her son. Heaney experiences periodic waves of grief, often triggered by dreams of Tyler that end abruptly upon waking. Five years after his death, the pain of losing Tyler lives on, showcasing that grief has no expiration date.
Despite the ongoing legal battles and personal struggles, the Skaggs family remains focused on honoring Tyler’s memory and the positive impact he had on those around him. They aim to remember Tyler for how he lived, not how he died, and strive to carry on his legacy through advocacy work, charity efforts, and the memories they hold dear. The grief and pain of his loss will continue to shape their lives, but they find solace in keeping his memory alive and honoring the person Tyler was.
