Growing up, Kaley Petersen’s dad was her biggest cheerleader.
After her parents separated when she was 3, Petersen tells PEOPLE, her dad stepped in as her primary caregiver. He built forts with her as a child, and when she discovered she was pregnant at 18, he was the first person she called—welcoming her into his home as she raised her son. As a grandfather, he doted on his three grandchildren with the same warmth.
“My dad was always there for me,” says Petersen, 23. “So when I lost him, it was like I lost more than a dad. I lost my best friend. I lost the only support I really have.”…