Taylor Crose honored with special birthday parade

Westside Eagle Observer/SUSAN HOLLAND Taylor Crose poses beside a pile of gifts, cards and balloon bouquets he received during his 16th birthday parade. Seventy-seven vehicles participated in the parade organized by his mother as a surprise to make this birthday extra special.
Westside Eagle Observer/SUSAN HOLLAND Taylor Crose poses beside a pile of gifts, cards and balloon bouquets he received during his 16th birthday parade. Seventy-seven vehicles participated in the parade organized by his mother as a surprise to make this birthday extra special.

GRAVETTE -- The milestone "Sweet 16" birthday year is always a special event to be celebrated in a young person's life. But for Taylor Crose, son of Chris and Tina Crose of Gravette, his celebration was kicked up a notch with a special birthday parade planned for him by his mother.

A few days before his birthday, Tina began contacting neighbors and friends with plans for a parade to honor Taylor's birthday. She encouraged everyone to drive by the Crose home on the evening of Wednesday, May 6, to greet her son and wish him a happy birthday.

"Help us make this the best birthday ever by coming by in a birthday parade."

"Basketball loving, gentle giant Tay will be the big 16! Amazing journey we have been so blessed to be a part of for 16 years!" she shared. "Like everyone, this time has been hard on Taylor. Birthdays at our house are always a time to celebrate and party. We won't let a quarantine stop us from celebrating God's most amazing gift that came into our life 16 years ago. He is so easy to love and I can't wait to make his day perfect."

In the next few days, parade participants were asked to gather in the parking lot at the nearby Gravette High School and from there make their way past the Crose home. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from four-wheelers to giant pickup trucks, cars and SUVs, began to assemble around 6 p.m. and in the next half hour, many more arrived, enough to circle the parking lot about two times.

Shortly before parade time, Tina, who had already decorated the front lawn with a string of signs reading, "Happy Birthday, Taylor," broke the news to her son, and family members set up chairs in their front yard to watch the coming attraction. At 6:30, the drivers of the parade vehicles began to wend their way north out of the GHS parking lot, led by several Gravette Police Department units, Gravette Fire Department and Sulphur Springs Fire Department vehicles.

They continued up to Detroit Street where they turned west and cruised past the Crose home. Several were decorated with balloons, streamers and signs extending birthday wishes. Most drivers honked, shouted greetings or played "Happy Birthday" music on their sound system. Many paused as they passed to deliver gifts, cards and balloon bouquets, so Taylor made several trips back and forth from his chair to the street.

The special birthday surprise was designed to honor Taylor and acknowledge how far he has come in his 16 years.

When he was born on May 6, 2004, at the University of Arkansas Medical Center in Little Rock, his chances of reaching his 16th birthday looked very slim. He was born at 11:11 a.m., Tina explained, and stopped breathing at 12:35 p.m. Doctors worked with him for about 15 minutes before resuscitating him. Even after he was revived, his prognosis did not look good. His medical team warned that he would probably be blind, deaf and retarded. He spent seven days in the neonatal intensive care unit.

At birth, Taylor was 17 inches long and weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces. In contrast, today he stands 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 204 pounds. He wears a size 16 men's shoe.

"He's a big boy," Tina says. And he's a healthy boy, who serves as manager of the Gravette Lions basketball team and is an avid basketball fan.

Tina reported that 77 vehicles showed up for Taylor's parade and she expressed appreciation for all who participated.

"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making his day amazing and one he will never forget!" she said. "The Gravette PD showing up, to the Fire Department to the Gravette Lions basketball team -- he was so happy to see his coaches and teammates and so many friends. The love you showed us was beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of for him. Once again, this community shows up when there is a need or someone just needs some love! Thank you to every one of you for what you have done today," she said.

Community on 05/13/2020