Local teen gives final gift of life as organ donor
Submitted by Casscounty1 on
Community grieves loss of young volunteer
By Robin Aaron
Managing Editor
The death of local teen Ty Ball has rocked the area. The young man who’s life reportedly touched students all over the area will be memorialized this Saturday.
Ty Awtrey Ball, 16, of Queen City, died of injuries sustained while horseback riding with his brother Sunday night.
Ball sustained severe injuries to his head with internal bleeding. He was transported to a Shreveport hospital and survived through the night as family and friends kept a vigil by his side and at the medical facility.
Back home, student led prayer broke out at the Queen City High School football stadium till almost 2 a.m. Prayers went out not only his home campus of Queen City, but at other campuses across the area, even as far as Redwater. “Pray for Ty” banners went up at Queen City and students flooded a Monday night prayer gathering in downtown Atlanta known as Ark-La-Tex Ablaze.
The outpouring of care and concern for the family of Ty Ball continued as hopes were high that the young man would pull through.
Sadly at just after 11 p.m. Monday night, Ty Ball passed away.
The young man and student is credited by his friends and teachers as being that person who would always bring a smile to their faces, whether he was cracking jokes or just showing genuine care for others.
He was active in athletics for football, FFA, volunteered with Cass County Emergency Services District #2 (CCESD#2) and at his church Calvary Tabernacle.
What has begun to draw much attention since Ty Ball’s death however is a final gift that made the decision to give long before his final ride with his brother last Sunday, May 5.
According to Ty Ball’s mother, Danielle Martin, it happened after she returned home from visiting a friend in Arkansas who had recently lost her 23 year-old son. When she returned, Ty asked her about the trip and situation. She told him about her friend’s son being an organ donor. The boy’s mother wasn’t for it, but because he was 23, there wasn’t much she could do.
Danielle Martin remembers telling Ty that because the young man became an organ donor, others received life after his death. Ty said that was “cool”.
So at 15 Ty Ball signed up as an organ donor as well when he got his drivers permit...
Read the full story in the May 10 edition of the Citizens Journal.
PHOTO: Photo by Robin Aaron
Caleb Nicholas, Tristan Beard and Jaeger Jaynes work on a cross that will stand at Ty Ball’s grave following his funeral services this weekend. Students Jesse Rich, Kaycee Jackson and Walker Oliver also took part in creating the welded cross. Also pictured is Trent Granderson. Students in the Queen City High School ag department are creating a number of signs and other items as gifts to Ty Ball’s family. Ty Ball actually built the table that they are working at this past year. It has become their place to work on their creations for his memorial.
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