Taylor Thyfault had always dreamed of joining the army, and his wish came true when he turned 18 years old.
Carole Adler was happy that her son became a soldier, but she was always worried for him. And one day, her greatest fear came true...
Best Friends
Taylor Thyfault had a close bond with his mother.
They talked on the phone every single day like best friends do. Then, when Taylor got out of the army, he enlisted to become a police officer.
The Day Of
Taylor wanted to continue serving his country and make a difference in this world.
But, then, one day, something horrible had happened to him. Taylor and his partner were patrolling the highway when they received a call about a speeding driver.
Accident
The driver refused to stop and Taylor and his partner were told to set up spikes on the road to stop him.
Unfortunately, the driver attempted to avoid the spikes and hit their car instead.
Saved
Taylor was rushed to the hospital, but sadly, he passed away. As Carole was crying next to her son's grave, his partner told her that her son saved his life by warning him about the speeding driver.
Taylor's partner managed to get away from the speeding driver just in time, thanks to her son. But then, something strange happened that made Carole question everything.
Strange Idea
Carole was so depressed and heartbroken that she couldn't even go outside.
Her son received the honorary memorial, which made her feel a little better, seeing that he was so loved in the police force. As Carole was thinking of a way to heal from the loss of her son, she came up with a rather strange idea...
One Last Text
Taylor and Carole used to text a lot when he was away, and she decided to send him one last message to take some of the weight off her heart.
But she didn't expect to receive a response from her son's number.
Response
Carole hit the "send" button and went to do her chores.
Then, after a few minutes, her phone buzzed. She received a text back from her son's number. How was this even possible?
Another Officer
It turns out that Sergeant Kell Hulsey from the Greeley Police Department was given her son's phone number by the carrier network.
After reading Carole's heartfelt message to her son, the officer decided to let her know that he was sorry for her loss and that he would get a new phone number.
Wrong Person
"So I sent a text back and identified myself, and said 'I'm with the Greeley Police Department, and I don't think your texts are going where you think they are,'" he recalls.
But how did Carole react?
No Need
Carole responded and told the police officer that he didn't have to change his phone number and that his response meant a lot to her.
Carole told him how much her son loved his job and wished him all the best.
Special Connection
Carole will occasionally send Sergeant Kell Hulsey a text message to ask him how he is doing and remind him to be safe.
Her son became their connection. "Thyfault is still trying to make a difference," said Kell Hulsey.
Brave Man
Carole Adler is proud to have raised such a brave and kind son who always wanted to help others, even if it meant risking his own life.
"And if you asked him, he'd do it again because he sacrificed himself for someone else," she said. "He lived, he dreamed and breathed that."
Last Text
Carole was the last person her son sent a message to on the day he died.
Taylor and her son used to do everything together. They had coffee every Friday and were workout buddies.
Grief
"Every day, it hits me like a ton of bricks when I can't text him," Carole said.
"We're just that close. Everything that happened in his life was in my life."