Updates on Tyler

Today Tyler is a 17 year old boy in the 11th grade at Franklin County High School who loves to laugh.  He has a great sense of humor, he's goofy, inquisitive, smart, and kind.  He loves all animals, as well as building Legos, going to the movies (especially Marvel) and playing video games.

Tyler struggles with pain on a daily basis but manages to attend school in-person regularly and gets good grades. While he maintains his independence in a lot of areas, he still needs assistance with simple tasks that others take for granted. For example, he needs assistance with combing his hair, showering and putting on his socks. On good days he can go for a short walk. On bad days, when inflammation is extreme, it is hard to even get out of bed. 

We have worked with the school system to provide accommodations for Tyler. For example, he has a one-on-one aide that writes for him and helps him with class transitions. They have been very supportive of Tyler's needs. 

Because of FOP, he cannot turn his head left or right, he can barely raise his arms out in front of him or to the side and he struggles to bend over.  Every day brings new challenges of adaptability and relearning new ways of doing everyday tasks but we are grateful for the support of friends and family. 

Tyler plans on graduating high school in December 2026, a semester early. He hopes to attend Ferrum College full time starting Fall of 2027 and majoring in Media & Communications.