” You have been assigned this montain to show others it can be moved ”
Tyson was just 2 years old when he was diagnosed with liver cancer – Hepatoblastoma. By the time he got scans, his lungs already had 10 spots, meaning cancer had already metastasized (spread) from the liver to his lungs…
The Halloween night of 2017 was terrifying for Tyson’s family. His parents noticed a bump on his tummy and took him to the ER (emergency room), spending an entire day there with no real answers. Thinking the issue with Tyson wasn’t serious, Lacey (Tyson’s mama) took his 3 older siblings for trick or treating and Tyson’s daddy stayed with him, at the hospital.
That same night a doctor brought the horrible news: Tyson had a 6-inch tumor in his liver (approximately 15 centimeters) and it was cancerous. Tyson’s daddy received the news all by himself – it was heart-wrenching and he cried – which parent doesn’t when their worst possible nightmare comes to life?
Tyson’s dad waited until the night was over, expecting not to ruin the Halloween night. Trying to make the most out of everything, Ty and his dad played in the hospital playroom to enjoy their Halloween night. Lacey called and right there she acknowledged her son had cancer.
“Such a scary night!”
Tyson endured a grueling 6 rounds of chemotherapy – including 3 different drugs – 5FU (or Fluorouracil), Cisplatin, Doxorubicin. All of them have incredibly devastating side effects…
– Hair loss, Nausea & Vomiting, loss of appetite, low blood counts, toxicity ( meaning filtering organs cannot handle the amount of medicine, acquiring damage), hearing loss, diarrhea, mouth sores and so on… All of these should never be experienced by a child!
When he had his port placed, (a small chamber under the skin with a tube that goes directly to the heart, to easily deliver medicine or draw blood), Tyson also had a biopsy done. After 3 rounds of chemo, doctors were able to remove about 60% of his liver, along with the tumor.
Tyson loves animals, especially dinosaurs, sharks and gorillas!
Sometime before being diagnosed, Tyson had been to the Zoo – during tough times Tyson would look at the pictures taken at the Zoo for comfort. There was a special video taken of him with some gorillas – he loves them so much he’d watch the video over and over!
Somedays Tyson was strong enough to be taken to the Zoo when no one was around as cancer patients have no immune system and can easily catch a regular virus that for them can be deadly. So Tyson’s only option was to visit the Zoo when it was empty! He’d sit in the sun and enjoy the Gorillas.
He once had to be NPO ( Nothing by Mouth, no food or drinking) for 2 weeks. The sad part is that he was self-aware of that! He’d smell cookies to feel better and then wait for the doctor’s approval to eat.
At the lowest point, Tyson was skin and bones. He lost a tremendous amount of weight due to chemotherapy side effects. Everything was done to make him eat but it’d come back up almost instantly.
If someone, Tyson had a huge heart. He is so kind! He’d ask for food and make his mama or daddy eat for him – it was like Tyson was eating through his loving parents…
When his mom or dad was sad, he’d make sure they were okay! He was always worried about them, constantly trying to make them feel better – he’d share his most precious belongings to brighten up their days.
He loved the hospital’s playroom – as well as play dough and making art projects – sometimes at night when things got a bit boring, Tyson and daddy would race around the halls – holding the IV pole in one hand and pushing the (playing) car that Tyson would sit in with all the strength he could to make their nights enjoyable! Tyson’s smile was and is priceless during these moments!
Tyson had his last round of chemo in April of 2018 and the latest tests, December 2018 showed NED (no cancer).
1 year ago Tyson’s future was uncertain. Today he’s here and thriving beautifully, loving life as always.
Tyson’s Journey is incredible – it will make anyone’s heart melt… A big thank for Tyson’s family for letting me write about this tiny superhero.
In the world of Childhood Cancer, every story is heartbreaking. Every story makes me feel sad. But some hit especially hard – Tyson’s blue eyes struck me.
We love you, Tyson!
Tyson’s Original Story
Tyson’s Instagram Page
Tyson’s Facebook Page
Tyson’s GofundMe, if you’d like to help : https://www.gofundme.com/tysonslove
Warriors Of Gold 