Hi - my name is Janet Tracey and I'm fundraising for my son Tyler St. Don

Most people will agree that family, friends, and amazing food join together to form the foundation of Tyler St. Don's life. Tyler is a loving husband and describes his wife of over 5 years, Julie, as the love of his life. Tyler and Julie met online on Okcupid and have been together since May 2015. Within 3 weeks Tyler knew that he had found "THE ONE". Julie gave him the best gift he could have ever asked for when she told him she was pregnant on Christmas Day of 2015. Their son, Augustus, is now 6 years old and is Daddy's Boy. He is clever, kind, creative and fun-loving. As a family, they all make time to spend fun, and quality time together. Tyler cherishes his family time and "man-dates" with Gus. Tyler is currently enjoying teaching Gus how to play video games.

Tyler takes great pride in his work, especially within the culinary industry. He's made numerous delectable creations with his own dessert business "Tyler's Sinful Delights". His friends and family share how they've enjoyed special treats and cakes that Tyler designed specifically for them. He's been been a chef for multiple establishments since graduating from Le Cordon Bleu; most recently he worked as a Third Cook at Boston College. His heart and passion go into everything he makes.

To say it has been a rough year for the St.Don family is an understatement. After being the subject of many blood tests and bone marrow biopsies in August 2022, Tyler was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and life did a complete 180. Because it is a slow-progressing blood cancer, it is suspected that his blood levels started to indicate something was going on in 2016. However, at that time, it was thought that Tyler's blood levels were due to his year-round allergies. Doctors continued to monitor his blood levels through the years but there was no cause for concern. Right before the summer of 2022, due to a major kidney stone attack, his doctors became alarmed about his bloodwork. They ordered more specific blood tests and biopsies. In November, Tyler was told he could not return to work because his body could not fight off potential illness or handle bruising due to his low platelet levels and anemia.

Over the last several months, countless trips have been made to Boston for a variety of treatments at Dana Farber including blood draws, various medications, transfusions, and chemotherapy. It takes a crew rallied around them to manage everything. On weekdays, Tyler's Mom (Janet) drives him to his appointments and keeps him company. Janet also keeps on top of everything the doctors and nurses cover regarding Tyler's care. Julie continues to work during the week and accompanies Tyler during any weekend appointments that he has. Tyler needs a bone marrow transplant to fight the CML, help his body to start producing platelets again, and resolve the anemia. A donor match has been found.

The next phase of Tyler's treatment begins on April 6th. He will have an IR Tunneled Central Venous Catheter implanted in his chest and begin chemo treatment in preparation for the transplant. Soon after Tyler will begin the bone marrow infusion. Tyler is expecting to be in the hospital for 3-4 weeks to make sure his body accepts the new bone marrow. Afterward, he will be staying with his mother for several months until he recovers, and his doctors clear him to return home to his family. This is going to be a very difficult part of Tyler's cancer journey between medical procedures and separation from his loved ones.

Tyler will not be able to return to work for at least 1 year. The unexpected decrease in income has been a challenge to navigate. The trips back and forth to Boston are costly between gas and vehicle maintenance, unpaid medical expenses, and any unexpected expenses. Any financial assistance is greatly appreciated and will be used solely for their personal monthly needs.