Tyler Tucker

Tyler Tucker was born on October 9, 2000 in Greenville, South Carolina. He loves his four wheeler and play cars and trucks. He dislikes all the chemo and doctor visits. This little boy is so strong he has had 10 surgeries in a year and he is still smiling.

When It All Started



At Christmas, just after Tyler turned two he fell on a small toy car and scratched his jaw. The jaw swelled and by New Years Day we had to take him to the hospital. The hospital staff said that Tyler needed surgery to remove a cyst. Doctor Wilson did the surgery and came out with tears in his eyes. He said that the problem was not a cyst, it is cancer and that he sent a portion of the extracted material to the lab to have it analyzed. The results came back as Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Mandible. When the results arrived, January 30, we were called to his office and he cried with us. Tyler was admitted to MUSC immediately. We felt this couldn't be happening to our baby not Tyler. The staff at MUSC has been wonderful and we were like family. We learned to love everyone there. Tyler has stolen the heart of everyone on Floor 7b.

Tyler was having trouble breathing because of his jaw so the Doctor's decided a tracheotomy was needed. At the same time, Tyler's jaw fell so the medical staff had to wire the jaw shut. Then he couldn't keep feeding tubs in forcing them to replace the tube six times.

After radiation and chemo Tyler underwent surgery again where they took a bone from Tyler's leg and transplanted it into the jaw. Shortly thereafter it was diagnosed that the cancer have moved to his lungs. Both lungs were infected. Tyler lost the upper right portion of the right lung and chemo seemed to clear up the left lung, as a result of this surgery a chest tub was inserted. Tyler was so strong that he went walking down the hall with that chest tub. Doctor York said she wants a picture of Tyler to go over her desk. She said that he was the strongest kid that she had ever seen and that he was her miracle baby.

It has been really hard on our family. Ashley only twenty and can't work and Tyler in and out of doctor offices and all the trips then and now. But God has been with us and he has got us this far. Tyler had four staff infections while he was in the hospital, which encompassed most of 2003. We took a camper and stayed in it at Lake Air campground so we could be with Tyler and Ashley.

Tyler can't talk very much, maybe twenty words but he is learning. He walks on his toes and he is on feeding tube because he will not eat on his own. Tyler is looking at more surgeries, Jaw reconstruction for one. Tyler loves playing with his papa George and he loves holding on to mama and playing with her hair, but when he wants his way its always Nanny he wants.

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Status: May 2, 2008



". . . and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a  righteous person is powerful and effective. " James 5:16.

Hi everyone

What a week this has been! Things will get better ( I hope).

We got him out of Greenville hospital where he was admitted and immediately hooked up to an IV. After Tyler received several scans the doctors told us that he had two spots in his stomach. Based on this, the doctors also said they didn't understand why Tyler was hurting. Our first thought was that his cancer was back).

Our next stop was at MUSC hospital in Charleston, South Carolina where he was admitted for a couple days, received several IV's and some medication to make him pee since he hadn't peed in about five days. Tyler was still in much pain so they gave him a little morphine as a pain medication.

The doctors at MUSC said that Tyler had taken so much pain medication over time that everything inside his intestines was hard as rocks. They also said that this must have caused the infection which in turn is causing his problems. I never heard of such a thing so I called a nurse that I know and she said that this is possible. Tyler is still hurting and we don't know what to do. He has been through so much with the cancer that it has really messed his little body up. Please keep him in your prayers. Tyler hurt so badly last night, he cried himself to sleep.

Thank all of you that continue to help us. You are angels here own earth. Tyler's jaw surgery is still scheduled for June 3rd. Thank you for our rooms Courageous Kidz/Debby “Flash” Stephenson and her husband Charlie. I WANT everyone TO KNOW THAT Courageous Kidz is wonderful, loving and caring. It is the mission of Courageous Kidz to "give the magic of hope" to our children and to allow these children to be “wonderfully ordinary” under very abnormal circumstances.

And I also want to thank Happy Days for the food card and eighteen dollar gas card. Happy Days has also been wonderful. Conner has been right there to help us when we need him. So thank you Happy Days so much.

Well Tyler has had 4 good days. He still has some pain in his leg and jaw but the morphine seems to be helping with that. Thank goodness he deserves some good days, thank you Jesus.

Please keep praying for Tyler. His jaw surgery is June 3rd and he needs your prayers. Also we finally got a teacher she starts Monday and will come to our house every day starting Monday. yah yah yah. Tyler needs this so much. He needs to be learning so thank god for this.

Also we love you all please take a minute to sign Tyler's page it means a lot to us . You all have been wonderful.

TYLER TUCKER C/O DARLENE COX
PO BOX 14386 GREENVILLE
SC 29610

We Love you all so much,Thank and really appreciate you all so much. PLEASE JUST KEEP PRAYING TYLER STILL HAS SO MUCH TO GO THROUGH AND WE KNOW PRAYER WORKS.

Any one that would like to call me can call Darlene or Ashley 864-605-0237

Tyler has a pay pal acc set up if any one would like to help him at turpin10648@bellsouth. net.

Love Tyler Tucker and family
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MAY GOD BLESS THE CHILDREN !