After surviving 20 surgeries, Tyler Bois, 9, is thriving and fighting spina fibida and Chiari malfunction, which are diseases that cause him to undergo medical surgeries as early as one-day-old, according to a news released by the Boston Children's Hospital.
Tyler was first taken to the Children's Hospital of Orange County in California where his first six surgeries took place.
People reports that despite the 20 surgeries he had undergone at his tender age of nine, Tyler has big dreams for himself such as playing football, opening up his own pizza parlor called "Ty's Pizza Palace" or "Slice of Ty."
"I want to walk more and do things with my friends," Tylers says.
According to the report, Tyler is currently getting ready to attend Cub Scout camp with his buddies. In the past, Tyler has successfully attended other camps including Camp Gundalow at the YMCA of the Seacoast.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children with spina bifida engage in lively activities and participate in community programs, just like what Tyler keeps on doing when he plays with his puppy or goes skiing and wakeboarding. Tyler remains optimistic that one day, he will be able to play football with his favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys, People reports.
According to the CDC, children with spina bifida struggle in terms of mobility due to spine and leg paralysis. Unfortunately, Tyler was also born with Chiari malfunction, which, according to Boston Children's Hospital, is a "congenital defect in which the back parts of the brain slip into his spinal cord."
Fox News reports that even in his sixth month, Tyler already underwent tracheostomy where a tube was placed to aid Tyler's breathing and reduce pressure on his vocal chords.
"People don't often say it, but the trach was a blessing," said Tyler's mom, Amy, in the Boston Children's Hospital report.
According to the same news, during Tyler's first year, their family moved to Boston where he was transferred to Boston Children's Spina Bifida Center's care. Tyler's neurosurgeons are Dr. Michael Scott and Dr. Ben Warf.
When he was three years old, Dr. Roger Nuss opted an airway reconstruction, where Tyler had been able to breathe more easily and independently. The operation also allowed him to speak.
With Dr. Lawrence Karlin's optimism to help Tyler gain more mobility, Amy has gained more confidence.
"Dr. Karlin told me about a patient with spina bifida who walked down the aisle at her wedding. He said, 'She made it that far because her mother pushed her when she needed it. You're doing the same for Tyler. It will pay off in the end.' That really made my day," she said.
Tyler's parents wait hopefully that Tyler will be able to walk on his own someday.
