S2E2 | From childhood to college, and illness to purpose

Tyler was only 6 years old when he was diagnosed with leukemia, too young to really understand what was happening. His family was in shock. At St. Jude, they found comfort. There were tough days, but also a doctor who played with him, visits from professional basketball players and most of all a community of support.

Before his cancer was diagnosed, Tyler was in so much pain that he could barely walk. Now he’s a runner. He joined the track and field team in school and steadily increased his distances. His big goal was to run the St. Jude marathon in Memphis to help raise money and awareness — something he achieved when he was 17. “I wanted to give back and show people that you can do anything you want to do if you put your mind to it,” he says.

He has longer term plans to give back, too. He’s studying mechanical engineering in college, and he’d like to create prosthetic limbs that would let patients feel things again. “During treatment, you see a lot of people lose things,” Tyler says. “And one of the biggest things that I've noticed was a limb, and I decided I want to be able to give them back some sense of normalcy from that.”

St. Jude Storied Lives is a production of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This podcast series explores the experiences of survivors, letting you get to know the person and not just the diagnosis. St. Jude understands that every patient’s journey through treatment is unique. Listeners who have questions about their situation, diagnosis or treatment options should talk to their physician. These personal stories are not intended to provide medical advice.

Credits
Host: Joel Alsup
Producer: Geoffrey Redick
Editor: Grace Korzekwa Evans
Music production: Kazimir Boyle
Recorded by: Jason Latshaw, Nathan Black, Bobby Mitchell, Orlando Palaez and Dan Yohey