Five-year-old Tyler walked into his pre-K classroom for his first day of school, eager to meet his classmates. Starting school meant he was finally a big kid, and big things were about to happen.
For Tyler’s parents, Jennifer and Thomas, something huge had happened already in their son’s life, and in their lives, too. In 2010, Tyler had fought cancer and won.
Tyler had always been an active, social child, but in March 2010, he felt lethargic and often lost his balance. His parents were concerned. At the emergency room, a CT scan revealed Tyler had a golf ball-sized brain tumor called medulloblastoma.
After surgery to remove the tumor, Tyler’s doctors referred him to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
At St. Jude, doctors determined Tyler’s brain tumor as low risk and tailored treatment to his needs, forgoing radiation therapy altogether and giving him a lower chemotherapy dose than he might have gotten otherwise.
Today, Tyler is done with treatment—and full of energy and adventure. He loves superheroes and excels at sports. He is a fierce competitor. He recently started playing baseball and is a good hitter. He also loves golfing with his dad and has a mean swing.
No wonder he likes school so much—more kids means more opportunities to play.
Help give hope to kids like Tyler who are fighting life-threatening illnesses. Become a Partner In Hope monthly donor today.
Meet more patients
-
Meet Marina
Marina is a joyful 2-year-old who loves to laugh and dance with her siblings. She was referred to St. Jude after a white glimmer in her pupil led to her being diagnosed with retinoblastoma, an eye cancer.
-
Meet Mia
Mia is a friendly, caring child who was referred to St. Jude from her home country of Nicaragua when she was 5 years old. She was diagnosed with anaplastic ependymoma, a malignant tumor in her brain.
-
Meet Luis
Like many boys his age, Luis wanted to be a soccer player when he grew up. But then he was diagnosed with cancer. Now he wants to help kids like him.
-
Meet Eleanor
Eleanor is a determined baby who arrived at St. Jude on her first birthday. She was diagnosed with down syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer.
-
Meet Fletcher
Fletcher is a 12-year-old boy and a huge Cleveland Browns fan. So it was a dream come true when he announced the team's pick in the NFL draft on April 23.
-
Meet Jamia
Jamia is weathering difficulties far beyond her years as she undergoes treatment for neuroblastoma, a type of cancer arising from nerve cells.
-
Meet Deuce
Deuce is a fun-loving kid who's undergoing treatment for a rare type of blood cancer.
-
Meet Marric
Marric and his family had specific needs going into his treatment for lymph system cancer, but they never imagined how many of them would be met and exceeded at St. Jude.
-
Pushing through hard times
Colton is a 9-year-old boy who's used to being active in every area of life. And while an aggresive form of kidney cancer might have threatened that, St. Jude was right by his side.
-
Meet Caitlyn
Being diagnosed with a brain tumor was one of the scariest experiences for Caitlyn and her family. But her fears are being eased with St. Jude by their side.
-
Meet Alana
Alana didn't let a cancer diagnosis get in the way of her dreams for the future. Neither did St. Jude.
-
Meet patient Lillian (Lily)
Lillian (Lily) and her sister, Emmy, are inseparable, and always on the move. St. Jude is keeping them that way.
-
Meet Declan
Declan and his sister are best friends. So when he had to come to St. Jude for treatment, she was there by his side every step of the way.
-
Meet Maryelle
Maryelle was diagnosed with a rare disorder that left her family with little hope.
-
This holiday season, our families are grateful for your support
This holiday season, you help bring hope, peace, comfort and joy to St. Jude families. Thank you for your support.