'She didn't waste a moment': Manti father remembers wife, newborn son after tragic crash

MORONI, Sanpete County — It's been just a few days since Tyson Hafen lost his wife Rebeca Hafen of 14 years and their newborn son in a tragic accident that took place Tuesday morning near Manti. Yet, he took time to sit down with KSL to talk about his wife who, he said, lived life to the fullest.

"She loved every minute," he said. "She didn't waste a moment of life. She truly was living every moment like it was her last. She found joy in every little thing."

Rebeca Hafen was out for a morning walk on the dirt road near their home on Dairy Lane, just outside of Moroni, on Tuesday morning police said a driver who was blinded by the sun hit her. Rebeca Hafen was rushed to the hospital where she died from her injuries. Her son, who she was seven months pregnant with, was delivered at the hospital and later passed away.

Including the newborn, the Hafens have nine children together — six girls and three boys — with the oldest being just 13.

"(The kids are) absolutely the joy of our lives," Tyson Hafen said. "They really did mean everything to her. She put her heart and soul into everything she did. The amount of energy she had? I don't know how she did it — to be able to keep up with it and find time for herself."

The couple met in Mexico where Rebeca Hafen is from. Her husband said that he knew "right off the bat" that she was the one, adding that they both wanted to have a large family.

"We dreamed of having as many kids as we could," he said. "We were both very excited to have six girls and two boys, and we were excited for another boy. She was super excited. She loved her children so much and couldn't wait to have another one."

Rebeca Hafen homeschooled their kids and would go for walks in the morning before the kids woke up. Tyson Hafen said that homeschooling was about spending more time with her kids.

"She homeschooled and loved every minute of it," he said. "If homeschooling accomplished nothing more than having more time with her kids, it was worth it."

Tyson Hafen spoke about one the thing his wife taught their kids that will help them navigate this unimaginable loss.

"(Rebeca) had lost her father at a young age, so she did a good job of raising these children and preparing them for this somehow," he said. "I want them to remember how much she loved them and how she cared for their well-being and everything she tried to teach them."

Losing their newborn little brother, he said, is something that is going to also take some time to heal from. But he expressed gratitude for the time they were able to spend with him in the hospital.

"Yesterday, we went with the whole family to see the baby boy," he said. "We spent some time with him and held him and gave him all our love and said our goodbyes. It was a really hard moment, yet a very beautiful moment. ... He was on life support long enough for us to be there and say our goodbyes and go back to his mother."

Tyson expressed his gratitude for all the help his family has received from loved ones and strangers, many of whom have contributed to a *GoFundMe that has reached over $150,000 in donations. He also said that he holds no hard feelings for the driver.

"My heart goes out to them," he said. "I can't imagine what that would be like. I hold no hard feelings. I don't believe it's in our hands— life or death. I hope that they know that. I believe God's timing is everything, I hope that they can find peace, whatever that is. ... I hold nothing against them.

"(Rebeca) touched a lot of people," he added. "I have no clue how far her touch reached people, and it's been amazing to see."

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

Related topics