Meet Tyler, your Summer Scamper Patient Hero

Tyler was the face of our two Virtual Summer Scampers in 2020 and 2021! And if you’re a loyal Scamper-er, you’ve likely seen him on race day, wheeling around Cobb Track during the kids’ fun run. Tyler and his family are loyal race supporters, and we’re so excited to honor him.

Tyler is one extraordinary kiddo. Born with what amounted to half a heart, Tyler has defied the odds all his life, facing three open-heart surgeries, epilepsy, autism, and mild cerebral palsy.

“It’s a complete miracle he’s alive,” says Gail Wright, MD, Tyler’s cardiologist.

Thanks to your support, Tyler and his family have received outstanding care from Packard Children’s specialists over the years. They’ve ensured Tyler has had the best quality of life, and has been able to thrive, attending school, cheering on the San Jose Sharks, and becoming a wonderful big brother.

Keep an eye out for Tyler, who will be RUNNING in his first kids’ fun run this year! And have plenty of tissues handy as he crosses the finish line.

Without Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and the donors who support it, Tyler’s story would be very different.

Tyler was born with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome—the left side of his heart did not form properly in utero. The problem wasn’t discovered until after he was born in Santa Cruz, and he was immediately airlifted to our hospital.

“We have all the services he needed,” says Wright. “If he had been born farther away, he might not have survived. When he was a newborn, we provided the intensive care he needed. As a 3-year-old, he benefited from an experimental drug trial. And now we do tight, impactful care coordination so he’s able to live at home.”

Tyler’s mom, Jennie, says she and her husband teach Tyler to have a positive attitude, in spite of what he has to face. Every evening they ask him what his favorite part of the day was.

“Even when we’re in the hospital we do this,” Jennie says. “It’s neat to hear what he thinks is the best part of his day. Sometimes it’s that a favorite nurse came to visit, or someone was able to get a lab stick in one poke. It’s refreshing to hear from a little guy’s perspective what the best things are.”

Join us in cheering on Tyler and his family!