Who Is TyReAna?
TyReAna Scales was vibrant, driven, and thoughtful soul. the kind of young woman who naturally took care of the people around her. She carried herself with confidence, compassion, and a maturity well beyond her years.​​ As her mother, I watched her grow into someone special.
TyReAna was responsible, protective, and always aware of the bigger picture. She didn’t just live for herself she showed up for others. That was part of who she was. She had recently earned her driver’s license and took pride in doing things the right way. Driving represented freedom to her, and she treated it with respect and care. She was cautious, focused, and dependable someone people trusted.
TyReAna was also ambitious. She was an honor student who believed in her potential and worked hard toward her goals. One of her dreams was to become a pilot, and at just 16 years old, she had already flown a plane. She wasn’t afraid to challenge herself or aim high. At the same time,
TyReAna held onto something deeply important to her she often said she wanted to be a kid forever. She valued joy, laughter, freedom, and living in the moment. She believed there was something sacred about youth about learning, growing, and being given space to figure life out without being hardened by it too soon.​ That belief is one of the reasons this home is called Forever 17.
Forever 17 symbolizes giving people the chance to reclaim what addiction, trauma, or life circumstances may have taken from them their sense of safety, growth, and childlike hope. It represents going back, learning again, and rebuilding life with guidance, structure, and care, like being a kid one last time.​
TyReAna’s presence left an impression on everyone who knew her. Friends, teachers, and classmates remember her as kind, genuine, and steady someone who made people feel seen and supported.​
Forever 17 exists because of who she was. Her compassion, responsibility, and belief in growth are woven into the foundation of this home. Her legacy is not defined by loss, but by the life, joy, and purpose she continues to inspire.​
Our Story
Forever 17 was created in honor of our daughter, TyReAna Scales, who tragically lost her life at age 17 years old due to a drunk driver.
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After losing TyReAna, grief consumed me. I isolated myself and spent a lot of time in my own head, simply trying to survive the pain of losing my child. For more than 15 years, I worked at O&H bakery, dedicating my life to building stability and success all for my baby, my only child. Everything I did was for her future.
In the midst of grief, I began to reflect deeply on my life and my purpose. I asked myself: If I could help run someone else’s business successfully for so many years, why couldn’t I build something of my own? Something meaningful. Something that mattered.
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At one point, we even considered starting a food truck in TyReAna’s honor. Becoming a chef was one of her dreams, and she had a natural gift for cooking. But deep in my heart, I knew there was more something bigger I was meant to do.
A few years earlier, I had thought about starting a group home, but I didn’t know where to begin. During that time, I spent countless days at my daughter’s grave, sitting quietly, crying, venting, and clearing my mind. Pinwheels are placed there in her memory, and I began using them as a way to talk to her. I also spent long hours talking with my niece, processing everything out loud. Those conversations planted the seeds that led me here.
One day, while sitting at her grave, I asked out loud:
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“Should I stay at my current job?”
The pinwheels stopped spinning.
Then I asked:
“Should I start a group home?”
The pinwheels began spinning wildly.
I asked again for confirmation and once again, the pinwheels spun.
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In that moment, I knew.
I recorded a video and sent it to my niece, telling her I finally understood what I was meant to do. From that day forward, my family and I committed ourselves to honoring TyReAna’s name in the right way by helping others find their way back to life.
Together, we all worked tirelessly to complete a home meant to welcome every person who walks through its doors. The space was redesigned and built with intention, love, and compassion. Forever 17 is not just a house it is a place of safety, healing, and second chances.
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One of the most important things I always tried to instill in my daughter was compassion, strength, and the importance of leaving a mark on this world. Today, I see clearly that she did exactly that. TyReAna was something special. Her energy, her love for people, and her natural desire to help others live on through this home.
I had my niece there every step of the way. having her support helped me get through this journey. This is why I believe having support through your hardest battles is important.
Forever 17 is us turning pain into purpose.
It is love transformed into service.
And it is TyReAna’s light continuing to guide others towards healing, hope, and a second chance at life.
