Taylor French saw them first. The door to a private room at Timberlake Church in Lynchburg cracked open, revealing a large group of young women in navy T-shirts.
These were familiar faces.
“Oh my gosh,” French told his wife, Katie. “The whole team is here.”
It was Aug. 23, 2025, the day Taylor and Katie, alongside their children Kora, Addison and Eli, laid their oldest child, Rylan, to rest. She was only 12, having died 16 days earlier from an aggressive brain cancer known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG.
Symbols of support came in many forms during the funeral service, most notably through the University of Virginia softball team’s coordinated effort.
UVA softball players, left to right, Kelsey Hackett, Eden Bigham and Courtney Layne deliver Rylan a basket of Wahoo apparel. This was the launching point for the special relationship between the team and Rylan. (Contributed photo)
The Cavaliers, from head coach Joanna Hardin to star pitcher Eden Bigham, wore tops with “Teammates Forever” on the front and “French 35” on the back – the number Rylan always wore to honor her late uncle, Brandon – along with Rylan’s signature.
“We were shocked,” Katie said. “It meant the world to us. And I think everybody else was like, ‘Man, this team really rallied around her.’”
Nine months later, on the brink of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers still are.
“Teammates Forever” isn’t just a phrase on a shirt the Wahoos now wear for warmups. It’s a statement of a lasting friendship that began in August 2024 and became more genuine with each interaction.
[Narrator speaking]
It’s easy to forget sometimes why the game is played. Between competition, academic pursuits and the pressure they both bring, that unique joy can sometimes get lost.
For Virginia softball, that reminder of purpose and perspective came in the form of a 12-year softball player from Forest, Virginia – Rylan French.
[Katie French speaking]
Rylan played softball every since she was about 6 years old. She tried lots of positions, but she was just a natural. She loved hitting the ball. She was a strong thrower. She was a really great catcher, so that made her a first baseman.
She practiced, she was driven. Her dad was her coach almost every single year. She was a leader on the team. In August of 2024, Rylan came back from camp and was getting dizzy, tingly in her hands and feet. They thought it was an ear infection. But after it not improving and her walking getting worse and off balance, we decided to come up to UVA and get an MRI at the ER. And at that time, they did several scans. She was diagnosed with DIPG which is an inoperable brain tumor.
When your family's going through cancer, everybody else kind of keeps going and life continues. But right then and there, we just paused and we were going to figure out everything we could do to try to help her feel better.
Eden Bigham: I reached out to her family. Like, ‘Hey is there anything we can do for you?’ We want to give her some UVA gear just to support them any way we could. Coach Jo was all on board with anything that we wanted to do to help them. We were at appointments with Rylan. We were doing movie nights at her house, so that was super fun for all the girls to really get connected with her.
We're from the same hometown, so I just saw how Lynchburg really rallied around her family and around what she needed and it was super special to be a part of.
[Narrator speaking]
That September, Rylan even signed a letter of intent, officially making her a Cavalier.
[Katie French speaking]
It was just really special, and she really felt like that group of girls were like her family, her big sisters.
Rylan fought DIPG for 370 days. So, she made it just over a year.
Having the locker still here brings tears to our eyes because she's not gone. And even though she's not here on Earth, there's just a special place here always for her. When we had her funeral, I knew we wanted to be back and we wanted to show up for the girls that were so supportive of her.
I'm so glad we're a part of this. Coach Joeand the rest of the coaching staff has been incredible. The girls have been incredible. They welcome our family like we belong here, like we are a family of theirs.
I just love watching, our whole family just loves coming here and watching, and watching them win. They always win. So …
Bigham, a Lynchburg area native, was introduced to Rylan’s story through connections in her hometown. The three-time All-ACC performer caught wind of a young softball star – – who had been diagnosed with brain cancer.
Bigham moved quickly – first with an in-home delivery of UVA gear and then an invitation for the French family to hang with the team at 鶹ƽ Palmer Park.
That’s when Rylan opened up.
“Her parents talked to coach Jo (Hardin), and we all just sat in a circle and talked to her,” Bigham said. “I think that was the moment where I really started to see some people really form a connection with her and a relationship. And you could tell which girls she was really enjoying talking to."
Members of the UVA softball team surround French during one of her many visits to Palmer Park. (Contributed photo)
Soon, Bigham and her teammates became a reliable presence in Rylan’s life. When watching movies and playing video games surrounded by her friends, a bout with a devastating disease was an afterthought.
“They would just check in with her,” Katie said. “She knew that she could always just text them. It was just a really cool bond for everybody.”
On Sept. 19, 2024, Rylan, who received treatment at the UVA Health University Medical Center, returned to Palmer and became an “official” member of the team, signing a ceremonial commitment letter. A locker stall was even set up with Rylan’s nameplate and a No. 35 jersey.
The bond strengthened during the 2025 season. Before one game, Rylan, through Bigham’s request, delivered a message to the Cavaliers.
“I texted her and her dad,” Bigham said. “I was like, ‘Hey, coach Jo does this thing where we have to share a little piece of motivation for the game. And I think the girls would really like to hear what you have to say.’”
So, Rylan, with Taylor’s assistance, penned a short, light-hearted speech around “softball non-negotiables” that Bigham relayed to her teammates.
UVA softball coach Joanna Hardin, right, embraces Rylan’s mother, Katie, during a game this season. (Virginia Athletics photo)
“They just made me laugh,” Bigham said. “They weren’t serious. And I think that’s exactly what we needed before a game – something that wasn’t serious, that helped us ease those nerves a little bit.
“It really put into perspective how much we should love the game.”
The Wahoos won 38 games last season and made a repeat appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. With a 37-12 record, they’re trending toward the “Big Dance” again this season.
