Tyler Cordova
Diagnosis: Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Leukemia
Date of Diagnosis: March 2007
Our 7 year old son, Tyler, has always been full of boundless energy. His joy of life is contagious, and it’s hard to spend any time with him without smiling. Unfortunately, in March 2007 his spirit was tested when he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. We had taken him to the doctor for flu-like symptoms, but despite the doctor’s assurances that he just had a bad cold, he wasn’t getting better. Then one night Tyler turned to us with alarm in his eyes, and we realized he was having trouble breathing. We rushed him to the emergency room, where x-rays showed a mass in his chest. Over the next few days we learned that Tyler had a tumor wrapped around his heart and pressing on his airway. Our sweet little boy was fighting for his life.
The next few weeks brought a lot of tears and heartache, as Tyler was in the hospital, hooked up to countless IVs. He was unable to talk because he needed a breathing tube to protect his airway. But he quickly learned how to communicate with us by squeezing our hands – once for “Yes” and twice for “No.” One of my strongest memories from that time was when Tyler came back from his lymphectomy. He was just out of surgery, couldn’t move, and had an uncomfortable tube down his throat. But when I asked him if he was in pain, he squeezed my hand twice – no. Even at that moment, he refused to feel sorry for himself.
Tyler has been a huge source of support from his dad, Derek, who had the same form of cancer when he was a child. Derek has been able to share his experiences with Tyler each step of the way. However, thanks to amazing advances in treatment over the last 20 years (particularly with anti-nausea medicine and more targetted medicine dosages) Tyler does not feel nearly as sick as Derek did when he went through treatment. For that, we are forever grateful to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, for funding vital research in cancer treatment.
Unfortunately, Tyler has had a few setbacks in his treatment. He relapsed with cancer cells in his central nervous system in 2008, and after getting that under control, cancer cells were found in his bone marrow last year. Tyler had a stem cell transplant in September of 2009, and was in the hospital for several months, recovering from the procedure and a few complications that arose. Tyler obviously hasn’t been thrilled with all of the hospital time, but he took it head on and is now home and cancer-free.
Tyler continually shows us the meaning of strength and spirit. Recently my mother asked him what the hardest part of his transplant process has been, and he said, “None of it’s been too bad.” This coming from the boy whose eyes were swollen shut for a week; who after being told he was going home contracted a fever, and ended up spending an extra 3 weeks in the hospital; who for weeks could not physically stand up; and who didn’t see his home or friends for 4 months. His outlook is so joyful, that is just warms my heart. With that attitude, we know Tyler has the strength to kick this disease and continue to bring smiles to everyone around him.
Holly & Derek Cordova
