This year, the family decided to continue the tradition in honor of their daughter, Rikki-Lynn, who died in August from a rare form of childhood cancer. Halloween was her favorite holiday and she loved to be a part of the haunted house.
Brandi Cromlish, Rikki-Lynn’s mom, said they decided to push through the sadness this year and continue the haunt because families in the community love and look forward to it.
“Doing things that she loved may be hard for us, but it helps keep her memory alive and maintains a sense of closeness to her that we yearn for. We are trying hard to carry on our traditions...because it helps bring us comfort and connection while still trying to learn how to navigate her loss,” she said. “Over time, we hope that those traditions and activities can evolve into cherished rituals that celebrate not just her life, but the love that continues even after she left us.”
The family’s haunted house, which they took down after trick-or-treat night, — all in the family’s decorated front yard — included a disappearing nun, a swamp floor that vibrated with a thick fog, a clown room with an air cannon and distorted laughter, a butcher room with dangling hooks and the stench of raw meat, a corn maze with a train horn, a chainsaw man, Michael Myers’ house, a kind clown family that awards trick-or-treaters with candy, a fortune-telling shaman, a witch burning at the stake, and Freddy Kruger and his latest victim.
Cromlish said the community’s response was of gratitude and appreciation, as well as exhilaration and fear. She said people were surprised they still had the courage to put on the haunted house this year after what they’ve been through.
“But it was her favorite, so not only did we still do it to put on for our community that was there for us in every way when we lost her, but to honor her memory as well. She would have wanted us to show up and show out this year, so that’s exactly what we did,” she said.
Although the family has transformed their yard into a haunted house for years, they try to change it up a little each year to keep people on their toes. But this year, they added a QR code on the front fence for people to scan if they wanted to send donations to add to Rikki-Lynn’s fund or add any photos or videos of the night since the family is rarely able to get footage because they are busy scaring people.
“Though her time here was far too short, her spirit lives on in the hearts of everyone she touched,” Cromlish said.
About Rikki-Lynn
Rikki-Lynn lived for softball, was passionate about making TikToks, traveling, grabbing coffee with friends, shopping, singing along at concerts and spending time with family.
“(She) was a girl whose laughter filled every room, whose love for life was as boundless as her dreams ... she radiated warmth, humor and light,” Cromlish said. “She taught all who knew her what it truly means to be strong. Not by fighting alone, but by loving deeply and living loudly, through even the hardest days.”
However, Rikki-Lynn’s journey took a “heartbreaking turn” on Dec. 17, 2022, when she was wrongfully treated at two different hospitals, Cromlish said, and three different times was finally diagnosed with Stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of childhood cancer.
“What followed was a battle that no one should have to face, yet she met it with extraordinary courage, grace, and even laughter,” she said. “Our family did everything we could to stay strong for her, but in the end, it was her who became our strength. Her positivity inspired everyone around her, turning pain into purpose and fear into faith.”
The day Rikki-Lynn was diagnosed and the doctor told her she had stage 4 cancer is a day her family will always remember — not only because she was diagnosed, but because of the strength she showed. It was the day they “saw determination creep into our baby’s eyes and perseverance take over her life.”
While her family sat frozen with tears in their eyes, Rikki-Lynn didn’t cry or panic, she only looked at the doctor and asked if she’d ever be able to play softball again.
“That was her first thought. Not fear. Not anger. Just the game she loved...It was as if softball wasn’t just her sport, it was her anchor, her normal, her hope, and somehow against every obstacle, she made it back to the field,” Cromlish said, explaining her daughter played her junior and senior years.
“Every swing, every pitch, every inning became a small victory. Not just against the disease, but against doubt itself. You could see it in her eyes when she stepped onto the diamond, she wasn’t just playing softball, she was living proof that strength can wear a smile and courage can carry a bat.”
Rikki-Lynn died Aug. 9, but left behind “a legacy of love and resilience that will never fade.”
The family thanks the public for their support, including people they don’t know, that has become Rikki’s Army.
“We may have lost her far too soon, but we gained something extraordinary — a community bound together by love. And for that, we will be forever grateful,” Cromlish said.
They are in the process of starting a scholarship fund in Rikki-Lynn’s name, as sports were a huge part of her life, but in the meantime they are using their personal Venmo account until that can get set up.
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