LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (WATE) — Tyson Porcella, the teen killed in a falling tree incident last month, would have been 16 years old Friday. Although grieving, the late teen’s family is still celebrating his life and shared their gratitude with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office.

LCSO shared on its social media that Tyson’s mother Julie and grandmother Patty stopped by their offices on Tyson’s birthday, June 11, and gifted deputies the teen’s favorite snacks in order to thank them for their compassion and assistance during the tragic incident.

The incident happened May 7 in Northern Loudon County, where two teenage boys were struck by a falling tree along Virtue Road; killing Tyson Porcella and sending the other unidentified teen to the hospital. Porcella was a freshman at Lenoir City High School and was described by his parents as larger than life and a great son.

Community support and the Porcellas’ faith have helped them through the difficult time.

“That’s all we’ve got right now, with the exception of everybody that’s poured out to us. Internal peace comes from our faith, and we’re taking it day by day, and God is helping us through it,” James Porcella said last month. “That’s one of the things that gives us the most peace, is that we know that this absolutely without a doubt was God’s plan for him,” Julie Porcella also said last month.

LCSO said Friday they wanted to express their thanks to the Porcella family for their act of kindness and wished Tyson a “Happy Heavenly 16th Birthday.”