Oct. 5, 2018.
That date turned out to be one of the darkest days for softball sisters Katie and Hannah Taylor.
Their brother, Christopher Taylor, who had become a father six weeks prior, passed away unexpectedly at age 29. It came as a huge shock for Katie and Hannah, as well as their parents Brian and Amee, when it was determined that his cause of death was due to acute fentanyl overdose, a type of opioid drug.
Growing up, Chris loved sports and competed in travel baseball, soccer and basketball. As an adult, he played basketball, slowpitch softball and flag football. He had always tried talking Katie and Hannah into switching to his favorite number: 10. To his dismay, his sisters wore 2 after New York Yankees great Derek Jeter.
Following his death, 10 became a special number in the hearts of Katie and Hannah. The duo decided to wear 10 as a way to honor their brother and lasting memories they had shared together.
“I feel like that’s one way I could represent him,” Hannah said. “I had no doubt in my mind I wanted to change it. I wasn’t even hesitant about it.”
For the complete story and more photos, see Sunday’s Republic.
