Tyler Whaley lies in an unmarked grave at Mountain View Cemetery after dying alone of a suspected overdose in his Trail apartment on July 10.
He was 21 years old, and had only been in this city for a year. He grew up in Cranbrook, and everyone who knew and loved him wants him laid to rest in his hometown.
But somehow he was buried in Trail, against his family乌鸦传媒檚 wishes.
Tyler乌鸦传媒檚 sister Robin Tebbe hasn乌鸦传媒檛 been able to bring her brother 乌鸦传媒� the baby of the family 乌鸦传媒� back home to be buried in Cranbrook with his mom, who died when Tyler was 11, and an infant sister who succumbed to SIDS before Tyler was born.
She had just finished working a night shift as a care aide in an Elk Valley town when she called her aunt to give her some news about an acquaintance who had passed the previous evening.
She recalls her aunt, who lives a few doors away from Robin, being very quiet, almost 乌鸦传媒渙dd乌鸦传媒� with the conversation.
乌鸦传媒淢y aunt said, 乌鸦传媒楾hat乌鸦传媒檚 not the the news I had,乌鸦传媒� so I asked her, 乌鸦传媒榃hat news do you have?乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕 Robin said.
Her aunt proceeded to tell her she had seen a Facebook post from a community member that Tyler had died. That person had read of Tyler乌鸦传媒檚 death on Facebook as well after an unknown young girl had posted 乌鸦传媒淩est in Peace Tyler.乌鸦传媒�
| Tyler Whaley was 21 years old when he died of a suspected overdose in July. Photo submitted |
She still can乌鸦传媒檛 wrap her head how her kind-hearted brother, who didn乌鸦传媒檛 look a day over 16, could be dead.
乌鸦传媒淗e was very artistic, he loved animals and really loved his family,乌鸦传媒� Robin said. 乌鸦传媒淎ll before he hit 17 or 18, when he got involved in drugs. That乌鸦传媒檚 why he was brought to Trail, to get away from all that here in Cranbrook. But the drug problem followed him and he was found dead in his bed. That乌鸦传媒檚 all I was told.乌鸦传媒�
Because it was a Saturday, July 19, Robin immediately called the Ministry of Children and Family Services because Tyler had been in foster care since the age of six. Though he had aged out about three years previous, it was a place to start to look for some answers or at least an official confirmation of Tyler乌鸦传媒檚 death.
乌鸦传媒淏eing the weekend it went to a federal call (centre) and they verified that he died but they had no details,乌鸦传媒� Robin tearfully recounted. 乌鸦传媒淚 asked them why they didn乌鸦传媒檛 have any details he just died yesterday, and they said, 乌鸦传媒楴o it happened July 10.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
Through the community member who had originally posted about Tyler乌鸦传媒檚 death, Robin was able to get a contact number for a worker in Trail, not Tyler乌鸦传媒檚 ministry worker, but an access worker.
乌鸦传媒淗is mom is buried here, his dad is buried here, I would like to bring him home,乌鸦传媒� Robin told the worker. 乌鸦传媒淎nd she agreed saying that was the best place for him.乌鸦传媒�
After leaving messages with the ministry and not hearing back, and speculating Tyler乌鸦传媒檚 autopsy had to be completed and paperwork done, Robin waited for word on when the family could get Tyler乌鸦传媒檚 ashes.
After another week of being stonewalled from the ministry about what was going on with Tyler, Robin says she called the access worker to find out. That day Robin says she was told the paperwork to bury Tyler in Trail had been stopped and his ashes were ready to be picked up.
乌鸦传媒淪o I left it be, it was the long weekend so I thought, 乌鸦传媒極K, we will get this dealt with on the Tuesday after the long weekend,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕 Robin said.
Robin says she called the funeral home on the Tuesday and was told to call the City of Trail. Robin says she called the City of Trail and was told they were not to talk to her about this 乌鸦传媒渂y the funeral home.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚 said why does the funeral home have a say?乌鸦传媒� Robin recalled.
乌鸦传媒淎nd she said, 乌鸦传媒榃ell they interred him this morning.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕
| Note on the back of this photo of Tyler Whaley, one of the last in his possession, is "Cranbrook, after Bridget and I saw a movie." Dated 2010. |
Robin says she later found out the ministry called her mother乌鸦传媒檚 ex-husband to inform him of Tyler乌鸦传媒檚 death. This ex-husband and her mom were divorced four years before Tyler was conceived, so Robin is still wondering why they didn乌鸦传媒檛 call her grandparents, aunt, uncles or herself.
Tyler was still contacting the family in the month before he died, so their numbers were still in his cell phone.
乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 know why they buried him there. I called 10 days before he was interred so there is no reason for this,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淗e needs to be home. And we need to bring awareness to this so it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 happen to anyone else.乌鸦传媒�
The Trail Times called Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services for comment. The first call wasn乌鸦传媒檛 returned, and on the second call the Times was told the business was consulting with a lawyer.
The Trail Times also contacted the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Although Tyler had aged out of foster care at 18, he had ongoing care due his mental health and autism diagnoses.
乌鸦传媒淲e offer our deepest condolences to the family and the community of Trail for their loss,乌鸦传媒� the ministry replied in an email. 乌鸦传媒淭he pandemic makes this an especially difficult time for many, and losing a child is a heartache no one should have to endure.
乌鸦传媒淲hile we cannot comment on case specifics, we know the transition to adult services can be challenging for youth with special needs and their families.乌鸦传媒�
The Ministry of Children and Family Development is working to finalize and implement a new children and youth with special needs service framework that will guide the delivery of services to better meet the specific needs of children and their families, the reply reads.
乌鸦传媒淎 component of this work includes strengthening transition planning and providing additional guidance to youth and families throughout their move to adult services.
乌鸦传媒淲e are currently facing dual public health emergencies and are working quickly across government and with all partners to both flatten the curve and stop overdose deaths.乌鸦传媒�
This week Robin consulted a lawyer to find out how the family can bring Tyler home.
乌鸦传媒淚 was told when somebody passes that their oldest living relatives should be contacted, my grandparents or me. But I still don乌鸦传媒檛 know who to ask or what to do,乌鸦传媒� she quietly shared.
乌鸦传媒淚 just want to bring him home.乌鸦传媒�
Until the family can lay Tyler to rest with his mother and sister in Cranbrook, he will lie under an unmarked foot-by-foot square of green grass in Trail乌鸦传媒檚 cemetery.
To find him, look for Cremains Section 60, Row 1. His name, it seems, no longer matters.
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