Fundraising for my Cousin Tyler.

[Lewis2212]

Just an update on how we are doing if anyone is interested, We have raised £450 of £1,000 , Raised by 12 people in 1 day.

If anyone is wanting to know a bit more, then ill go into a bit of detail on what cancer it actually is. I personally can't say a massive amount, due to know having 100% correct knowledge of the Cancer.

The type of Cancer the hospital believe Tyler has is Medulloblastoma. Medulloblastoma is a type of brain tumor which begins when normal cells in the brain change and grow uncontrollably, unfortunately forming a mass. Due to this tumor being cancerous, it is malignant and can spread to other parts of the body.

As some of you may know, the brain and spinal column make up the central nervous system, where all vital everyday functions such as thought, speech, body strength etc is controlled. Medulloblastoma begins in granular cells in the cerebellum, which in the back of the brain. The cerebellum controls body movement and coordination. This is why Tyler is now unable to walk without assistance or support and has also almost completely lost his speech.

There are several treatment options which can be done to help lower the risk of the tumor, but unfortunately, in most cases will not remove the tumor. Tyler has been through 6 weeks of Chemotherapy, and the hospital are looking into doing another 6 weeks with him next month. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy tumor cells, usually by stopping the tumor cells’ ability to grow and divide. Chemotherapy is given by a pediatric oncologist or a medical oncologist, a doctor who specializes in treating a tumor with medication. The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the individual and the dose used, but they can include fatigue, risk of infection, nausea and vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. These side effects usually go away once treatment is finished. Unfortunately, Tyler has lost his hair due to having this treatment.

Another main treatment is Radiation Therapy, which Tyler will be having done soon. Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy tumor cells. A doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat a tumor is called a radiation oncologist. The most common type of radiation treatment is called external-beam radiation therapy, which is radiation given from a machine outside the body. When radiation treatment is given using implants, it is called internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy. A radiation therapy regimen (schedule) usually consists of a specific number of treatments given over a set period of time.

Of course one of the main ways of trying to remove a tumor, Is Surgery. Tyler did have this done and as I said they managed to reduce the size of the tumor a lot, but unfortunately could not remove it.

I hope this helps to give you more of an idea on what situation Tyler is in.

Thanks.

Lewis and the rest of our family.