Keller honors youth’s inspiration with special playhouse near inclusive playground
In his short time on this earth, Trent Pace made quite the impression on his fellow residents in Keller. Though he couldn’t walk or talk, he managed to connect with others in such a way that they will remember him forever.
As part of the expansion of Overton Ridge Park in Keller, Trent’s Playhouse will be added. The project, recently approved by the Keller City Council, is expected to be completed in August.
Trent, who was born with an illness that rendered him unable to walk or talk, died in March 2021 at age 11.
“When Trent was born we were an active family. We loved to run and play outside. The realization that he could not do these things devastated us,” said his mother, Nicki Pace. “We spent a few years trying to fix him, but that was never God’s plan. He was never going to change him, he was going to change us and show us how to thrive in the life that we’d been given.
“We did just that, and it’s been an incredible ride.”
The playhouse comes from The Playground Depot and offers a magnifying glass for observation, a table for dramatic/cooperative play, gross motor panel for manipulation/cooperative play, a clock for telling/teaching time, engraved animals for explorative/dramatic play, and engraving on the table for tracing, etc. It even has a replica of a small cozy fireplace and chimney.
The dimensions of Trent’s Playhouse will be approximately 55 inches by 94 inches and 5 feet tall.
“Just a few months after we lost Trent we heard about this park project and it once again gave us that special feeling. We knew it was another gift to us, a hug saying that we could once again include our child and his legacy in our own city,” Nicki said.
Keller Mayor Armin Mizani said of Trent, “We all get an angel here in Keller watching over us. I can’t think of a more beautiful park to do that at, considering what Overton Ridge Park is going to represent for the city.”
The city already had a small memorial for Trent in the Keller Rock Garden.
“Although this has been a wonderful memorial for us, we wanted to do something bigger, to honor his impact given his limitations,” Nicki said.
Trent’s Playhouse will also be near an inclusive playground that is part of the park’s expansion and is currently being built. There will also be a plaque honoring Trent and telling visitors about him installed on the pavilion planned for the park.
“My prayer is that anyone visiting this park who is weighed down by special needs, or who is just weighed down by a struggle they did not ask for will be encouraged by the way that God used Trent, used our broken child to change our perspective, and now can even contribute to a change in his community,” Nicki said.
“For someone who could not walk or talk and was completely dependent on everything he did an amazing job of changing the world.”