97.1 ZHT and Make-a-Wish Utah revealed a wish granted to Tyler!
Tyler is a quiet teenage boy, but once you get to know him, he is incredibly funny and has a big heart. His good nature shines through and leaves a lasting impression on those he meets. When Tyler isn’t at school, his time is dedicated to what he loves most, working mechanics on various machinery. In fact, through his high school, Tyler is taking automotive services at Bridgerland Technical College. Working with his hands and intuitively knowing how to fix things is a talent of Tyler’s, and it was something that helped motivate him during treatment. In March of 2020, Tyler told his mom he noticed lumps in his throat. She took him to a doctor, and they were then referred to an ear, nose, and throat specialist. The specialist recognized the signs of cancer and promptly referred Tyler to Primary Children’s Hospital. From there it was a complete whirlwind and Tyler’s life changed overnight. He underwent a surgery to remove the mass and was diagnosed with stage two cancer. Tyler received a port that administered four rounds of chemotherapy. Tyler was adamant that he wanted to keep his thick curly red hair, however, as he went through chemotherapy it started falling out. Tyler’s friend helped him through this challenge by dying his hair blue first before shaving it off. After chemo, Tyler was declared cancer-free and has been for the past six months. His hair has started coming back bright white and is incredibly soft. When Tyler was first diagnosed with cancer, his mom sat him down and said “you can’t control what is happening to you, but you can control your attitude and how you choose to move forward and fight through this.” Tyler really took this to heart. Every day he came at cancer with a strong mindset and a motivating willpower. This is when Tyler really started investing time into tinkering with machines. He was often found working on lawnmowers, ATV’s, and similar items when he had the energy. This passion inspired Tyler to wish for an ATV! Working on and riding ATV’s helps Tyler get out of his head and focused on his project at hand. Tyler hopes his ATV will be adult sized, since he is 16, and will be a 1000 turbo.
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