Durham's brother throws first pitch to dad

Staff Writer

DACUSVILLE - For a brief moment Saturday, the storms that had plagued Pickens County subsided and the ominous clouds parted, allowing the sun to dry the tears on many of the faces of those who had come to pay tribute to a young man whose life ended far too soon.

The group, about 100 friends and family members of Andrew Tyler Durham, stood on a Dacusville Recreation Complex ball field to be dedicated in his memory, and reflected on the teenager who loved sports and the Carolina Gamecocks.

"Tyler played on the inaugural ball team for Dacusville Middle School," his mother, Erin Durham, said. "His jersey number was "3" and the ball field being dedicated to him is ball field number three.

"That's significant," she said.

In addition, the field that now bears his name is the place that Tyler Durham died, following a nearby August 18 traffic accident in which Tyler, suffering from extensive internal injuries, was transported by ground ambulance to the helicopter that had landed in the field, waiting to take the young man to Greenville Memorial Hospital.

"The helicopter was waiting right in center field, and I know the exact location because I asked," Erin Durham said. "Some time between being taken out of the ambulance and placed into the helicopter is when Tyler drew his last breath, right there on the ball field, a place he love the best."

The brightness of the sunshine following a morning of driving rain did not go unnoticed by the young mother.

"I was so worried when I heard the weather reports for today, and then drove here in the rain," she said. "But now the sun is shining and it's the perfect day to be here. There's a reason for this."

Senator Mike Fair (R - District 6), who has proposed a bill, Tyler's Law, calling for parental responsibility when parents knowingly allow their teenagers to violate drivers license restrictions, told the crowd that he expects the law, to be passed in June.

"This will make all of us think about day to day activities done outside the law," he said. "And remind us that there can be some dire consequences when breaking the law."

Fair said that Tyler Durham was an outstanding athlete whose abilities help lead his team to a 21-0 championship year.

"Tyler was never on an undefeated team and that adds to the senselessness of the accident," he said. "That a bright, energetic young man who loved life and the Gamecocks was taken at such an early age."

Fair said that although family and friends grieve at the loss of such an inspirational young man, "we won't ever know about all the ripples his life has made upon history."

The dedication of the field, a place that he loved and the land on which he died, to Tyler Durham's memory, along with the pending bill of Tyler's Law, will forever be a tribute to his life, he said.

According to Fair, Cory Ten Boom, a survivor of the hardships of occupied Japan, "said joy runs deeper than despair, and (Tyler's) family can give testimony to this."

With the Andrew Tyler Durham scoreboard lit in the background, and as darkened clouds once again began to gather on the eastern horizon, Blake Durham, wearing his brother's #3 jersey, threw the first pitch on the newly dedicated field, which was caught by Jody Durham, their dad.

Rita-Sue Seaborn can be reached at 878-2453 or rseaborn@theeasleyprogress.com.