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.
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