Tyler Tucker

Background Story

"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 cist. Doctor Wilson did the surgery and came out with tears in his eyes. He said that the problem was not a cist, 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 three 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 is now in remission. This doesn't mean he is cured or better in anyway.

Sadly The cancer has done so much damage to Tylers little body.

He has been through 33 surgeries. We will have to take him to MUSC for his entire life. He will spend his entire life going through this he will never be 100% better as the doctors told us. He has had a lung removed, and 1/2 of his leg bone tooken out to replace his jaw. Now his jaw replacement isn't working with the leg bone so they have to fix that soon. Not only this he tends to get sick often. He won't be able to do things like normal kids cause of these things. We also have been told he won't eat like other kids, and maybe never able to have a baby when he is older.

The cancer he had isn't like most common cancers we have only found 5-6 other kids (This isn't 100% accurate, but the amount is very small in the USA we are just going on what we have found on the net.) Alot of them have had it come back or passed away from it sadly . Tyler wasn't suppose to live is what the doctors told us. We are very lucky to have him I know he is gonna make it!!!!!!

The chance of Tyler's cancer coming back is very high, but we think he will be fine cause we are trying so hard to get so much support for him, and having the whole world caring about him. We have hope, and Tyler is a warrior!"

*This article originates from http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tylertucker/mystory

If you would like more information on Tyler Tucker please his website at www.TylerTucker.com