Bryce, the triplets’ dad, died of leukemia
Despite being remarkably healthy, Bryce wasn’t shocked at the cancer diagnosis. The family has a hereditary illness, LiFraumeni Syndrome (LFS), that raises the chance of developing many different cancers — and often early in life.
According to the National Library of Medicine, people with LFS have a roughly 50% chance of developing cancer before age 30, and up to a 90% chance by 60.
To reduce the risk of the triplets getting these same family genes, they were conceived using in vitro fertilization (IVF) and a process called preimplantation genetic diagnosis.
Creed, Davin, and Sage, now 19, all take after their father, Bryce, in athleticism and have been active in sports for years. And their older brother, Kade (now 21), was a wrestler and a snowboarder.
“I made him a promise that I would still get out of bed and make sure they kept doing their sports. We weren’t going to slip into a vortex of despair,” Jenni shares.
The triplets all used athletics as an outlet for their emotions and grief as the continued to develop their skill and remember their dad.
The close Thompson family continues to experience hardships
Jenni was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and fought it steadily until it went into remission. During this season, Jenni continued what moms do — driving each of her kids to practices and meets.
Sage shared with TODAY.com, “My mother made so many sacrifices for us. When she was sick, she was all about us and making sure we were OK, and we’d be like, ‘No, no, no. Let us take care of you.'”
The kids still run and perform with their dad in mind. Creed would often raise a finger to the sky in honor of his dad. Sage also mentioned, “There’s definitely been moments where I know he’s there watching me and smiling. And I know my brothers feel the same way.”
