FPU men's basketball hosts 2nd annual 'Tough like Tristen' night

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Pacific men's basketball program hosted the 2nd annual 'Tough like Tristen' night on Tuesday.

The event focuses on celebrating the toughness and resilience of Fresno's Tristen Graham, a 9-year-old who has already defeated leukemia twice - even getting a life-saving bone marrow transplant from his father, Tyler, the second time around.

In addition to honoring Tristen's journey, the school teamed up with the Central Valley Blood Center and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to hold both blood and bone marrow drives prior to the start of the Tuesday night's game.

The Graham family's relationship with Sunbirds' Head Coach CJ Haydock dates back 20 years.

Tristen's father Tyler played under Haydock and his coaching staff during his time at Fresno Christian High School.

The two would reunite with the help of a nonprofit organization called Team Impact, which matches terminally ill or disabled kids with college teams to create life-changing experiences.

"They called and said hey we have a placement for you," Haydock said. "Before they told me who, I had a text from Tristen's Dad."

Tristen has been able to interact with the team by going to practices, participating in pregame warmups, and even sitting on the bench during games.

"We felt like last year was our opportunity to celebrate Tristen," Haydock said. "This year was our opportunity to take action to try and assist with the blood drive and bone marrow registry."

Graham says the support from FPU means everything to the family.

"I love that Tristen gets to see basketball at a high level and see what a locker room feels like," Graham said. "I played basketball growing up, it's a father's dream."

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