Playground named in honor of TJ Mister

By Shoshana Stahl

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    ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Missouri (KMOV) — Olga and Travone Mister honored their son TJ at Suson Park in St. Louis County, with the playground being re-named after him.

The Mister’s said their son TJ played at Suson Park in the past, which made the dedication even more special.

“It would mean something to TJ as he looks over and watches the other kids play on this playground,” Travone said.

Six-year-old TJ Mister drowned in July 2022 at the Kennedy Recreation Complex while he was at a summer camp run by St. Louis County.

“He lost his life right across the street at Kennedy Recreation Center so this is something that people will come here and see the bench and see the sign and will remember him forever,” Olga said.

Not only is the playground at Suson Park named after him but there is also a bench with a quote that his parents still live by that TJ said.

“We do not give up, even if we are sad. We do not give up. Never,” the bench reads.

“We live by it every day,” Olga said. “It’s something that he came up with all on his own, and that is our slogan. We’re sad every day, and we cannot give up.”

St. Louis County is making changes to its policies to make summer camp safer for kids.

“The procedures and policies that they had in place at the time of TJ’s death wasn’t enough,” Travone said.

County Executive Sam Page said among some of the changes in St. Louis County are new safety equipment, which include updated AEDs to have pads for adults and kids.

Page said other policy changes include an outside company to provide background checks for all camp staff members, a management company will recruit, train and manage lifeguards, new life jackets will be at the pools, the phone vendor will do daily checks on the phone services to make sure it properly connects to 911, and directors must have years of experience.

Another new policy for the county is that swim tests will be conducted and kids will be required to wear wristbands so lifeguards can easily identify them and their swimming abilities.

“We will close registration at the camp if we don’t have enough staff available to manage them,” Page said.

Page said the written policies will be posted on the county website so anyone can review them.

The Mister’s said it’s a step in the right direction, but state law needs to be enacted to regulate these camps.

“By making this a law, this is something that’s going to be around even after we’re gone,” Travone said. “This is going to be a law to protect future kids.”

The Mister’s have a message for families ahead of next summer.

“When they’re sending their kids to camp next summer, they look at those policies, they ask the questions, they make sure their kids are going to a safe camp,” Olga said.

The Misters say they are going to fight in Jefferson City for a law to regulate summer camps in Missouri.

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