PUYALLUP, Wash. — For one Puyallup teen, getting to the high school state championship basketball tournament at the Tacoma Dome is another step in helping his family heal from tragedy.
On the eve of their game at the Tacoma Dome, Dylan Rhoades says he’s optimistic about their chances.
“I think we have the chance to beat anyone in the state right now,” he said. “It's all just our coaches and my teammates, all of us combined. We're clicking at the right time."
It has been years since the Puyallup High School Vikings made it this far.
“The last time we were in [the] state [tournament] was 2011, I remember going to those games and cheering them on,” Rhoades said.
In so many ways you'd think Dylan was always meant to be on that team; until you dig a little deeper.
“My story started a year and a half before I was born…” Dylan explained.
That was January of 1999 when his parents Laura and Pat lost two daughters in a horrible car accident.
“Our story 20 years ago was very public because it involved two children that died in a car accident,” Pat said.
Jennifer and Jessica were 7 and 3 years old when they were killed in a crash caused by a driver accused of being distracted at the wheel.
“We had a wonderful family; three kids, two girls and a boy. It felt like we were done but life interrupted us,” Pat explained.
They made a difficult choice to try and add to their family.
"We would never ever replace our girls but a big thing was our son, Jacob, being an only child - it just kind of broke our heart to watch him be an only child,” he explained.
There were no guarantees and they needed medical help, “they said there's not a good chance, things can happen, but it doesn't look good…” Pat said. “And here we have a son and a beautiful daughter, it was a miracle all across the board.”
Dylan came in 2000, his sister two years later. “There's a purpose for life and even though it doesn't look like it when there's a tragedy and it's really hard to see there's a purpose and a meaning.”
Wednesday, the entire family will be on the sidelines when the Vikings hit the hardwood.
“I can see them smiling down on me and really excited for me,” Dylan said. “I look at my life basically as I was put here for a reason, I'm here for a reason, I have a purpose and I want to make the most of it.”
There's no doubt the competition will be tough for the Vikings at the tournament but for the Rhoades family, there's no possible way to lose.
“We're already winners. Even if Dylan didn't play in the state tournament, we're still winners," Pat said. “We have to have a perspective that there’s a purpose behind this and someday soon we’ll be reunited with them.”
The Rhoades family hopes by sharing their story, others will be inspired.