May 31, 2016, was the last day of school and the Tooele High School Softball Banquet and Award Ceremony. Sydney loved softball and the softball community. Shortly after we got home, she asked if she could go out with friends. It was the beginning of summer and they wanted to check out Mercur, a nearby cemetery and ghost town that was supposedly haunted. Approximately an hour later, my husband and I listened to sirens as we lay in bed watching T.V. Soon after the sirens quieted, there was a knock at our door.

It was our neighbor. He had received a call from another neighbor who had witnessed the crash and wanted to inform us so that we could drive to the scene.

Sydney had been in a rollover car crash and was ejected from the car. She was flown to Primary Children’s Hospital where we were told she suffered severe head and neck trauma and that her injuries were inoperable and not survivable. We were told that she was not wearing a seat belt. We were shocked because she always wore her seat belt. We later found out that the vehicle’s seat belts weren’t working properly.

The next day, June 1st, 2016, our family decided to take our 16-year-old daughter off of life support.

Sydney was the youngest of four children and losing her was devastating. We lost part of our future when we lost Sydney. We won’t see her graduate, get married, or have children of her own. We have very few memories that don’t include her. We miss her every minute of every day.

Sydney was a goofy, kind-hearted, determined, softball-loving diva. She had a beautiful smile that lit up any room. She was known for being a kind and loyal friend who was friendly and accepting. Sydney was strong and confident and reached out to her friends with love and support. Her laugh was contagious and she had a goofy sense of humor.

Our family received an outpouring of love and support from both our Tooele community Sydney Naylor Age 16 · tooele, Utah We lost part of our future when we lost Sydney. and her softball family. We could either get better or bitter and we decided to get better.

We started the “Live Like Syd Foundation” to raise money to give back to our community and give scholarships to high school seniors in the Tooele County School District. We want to encourage students to attend college and build their careers through higher education. Sydney loved softball and her softball family. She loved being a part of a team who worked together to become better while having fun. We also would like to encourage participation in extracurricular activities through sponsorships in her honor. We want to bring joy, light, and happiness to all who receive these scholarships, just like Sydney did to everyone she came in contact with.

The pineapple is part of our foundation logo as it symbolizes “Stand Tall, Wear a Crown, and Be Sweet”. Our foundation slogan is “Be Kinder, Laugh Louder, Try Harder, and Love Deeper.” We want to encourage people to live by these values in honor of Sydney, who was very loved and taken unexpectedly too young.

Live Like Syd.