At age 14, Tyler, my nephew, developed a painful tumor that deformed his forearm and wrist. After surgical removal, he partially recovered but required a follow-up surgery in 2015 to clear up remaining debris and scar tissue. It's been 6 years of pain but Tyler managed to graduate from high school and continue his undergraduate studies at CWI in Boise this past year. During this time he was also diagnosed and had surgery for Primary Hyperparathyroidism.
Recently, Tyler became extremely fatigued again and his arm started to swell with increasing pain. He and his mother Kami traveled to his oncologist surgeon at Primary Children's in Salt Lake for an MRI where an aggressive tumor was found. The tumor has eaten a hole through the bone which further deformed his arm, resulting in severe damage and infection. He had exploratory surgery last week on June 20th and a biopsy to discern the extent of damage and confirm the type of tumor involved. They stopped the surgery short because of the extent of the damage and size and aggressiveness of the tumor. The biopsy needed to be sent outside of Primary Children's to a pathology specialist and we will find out if it is benign or cancerous by the end of next week. A potential cancer diagnosis could mean radiation and chemotherapy.
For now, Tyler is at home keeping his spirits high as he waits for his upcoming surgery. He will undergo a total reconstructive surgery of his arm and wrist to remove the tumor and repair the damage as well as a bone graft from his hip to replace the destroyed bone. His surgery is scheduled for July 10th in Salt Lake City where the oncology specialist and his team perform this type of surgery.
Unfortunately, his insurance is currently out of network outside of Boise. His max out of pocket, out-of-network is $40,000. This amount will easily be met and exceeded by surgery, possible radiation and ongoing physical therapy. He will need a special brace to wear during his recovery phase and follow-up appointments. He will also require additional MRIs and scans to monitor for future re-occurrence of the tumor.
Tyler will likely not be able to work for sometime, will be out of school for a while and traveling extensively for care which will result in more out of pocket expenses. To make matters worse, Tyler's mother and main support system, my sister Kami, has also experienced recent health challenges and has been hospitalized a few times this spring. This has been extremely difficult for them both. Anyone who has met Tyler knows what an absolute sweet-heart and hard worker he is despite facing many challenges at a young age.
Please join our team and rally around Tyler and fight for his arm and his future. From our family, thank you so much for your prayers and support during this difficult time. Kami and Tyler are deeply grateful for any contribution you can offer.