& Guest Blogger, Howard Scott
You’ve probably seen the bright yellow & green treehouse magnets on cars all around Charlotte. That treehouse was a big dream for 5-year-old, Tyler Scott, just three years ago. It was a dream that Tyler never got to experience.
Tyler Scott was a 5-year-old who was the happiest when he was building or destroying some type of construction. It was rare if you did not see him in his yard with a tool belt filled with “real tools” double-wrapped around his small waist. However, Tyler will not grow up to be the next Ty Pennington. Tyler’s life was cut short by a silent killer called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (brainstem glioma). It is a rare form of cancer that affects less than 250 children a year. It is not curable and doctors do not know what causes this disease that strikes without warning. Tyler was diagnosed with brainstem glioma on January 30, 2006 and died February 8, 2006. Up to the week prior to the MRI that finally discovered the tumor, Ty was healthy “hammering nails.”
Upon hearing the words, “your child has a brain tumor,” the Scott family made every effort to seek the best medical care for Tyler. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, was selected by Ty’s doctors as the best place for him to receive treatment. Unfortunately, Tyler’s tumor was so aggressive that, for what is considered the first time in recent memory at St. Jude, he could not be treated. Tyler returned to Charlotte so that his three brothers Chase, Bryce, and Aidan could say good-bye.
Following Tyler’s death, the Scott family created a foundation in his memory called Tyler’s Treehouse. This foundation is dedicated to helping researchers find the cause and eventually the cure for brainstem glioma. To date, Tyler’s Treehouse has provided over $165,000 dollars to their restricted fund at St. Jude. This fund is the sponsor of the only study of its kind on brainstem glioma tumor tissue. Tyler’s sample was the first one collected.
For more information on Tyler’s Treehouse, you can visit http://www.tylerstreehouse.org/. The Tyler’s Treehouse 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk is on Saturday, September 12,2009. Grab the fam and get out there and make a difference for this incredible cause.
Tyler’s Treehouse 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2009
Location: Olde Georgetowne Swim Club in SouthPark (Whistlestop Rd. & Sharon Rd.)
To register, click here.
