Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Taylor.
Tyler, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
At the age of 16, I was diagnosed with a severe health condition. On the morning of September 24, 2010, I woke up to pain and numbness in the sole of my feet and palm of my hands – it gradually diminished my balance and strength in my legs. It prompted my mom to drive to my primary care phyiscian. He ran multiple tests (e.g. completed blood, urine, etc). He recommended that we drive to the nearest emergency room – which was 45 minutes away at the time – because this issue was too extreme for hiim to resolve. After arriving at the emergency hospital, I reached the point of fatigue, where I was unable to walk independently, forcing me to lean on her for support and balance, as we acended the emergency’s room ramp, so we could enter the hospital. Next, my mom checked me in, they placed us into an exam room, where they collected a urine analysis, ordered an MRI scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). They concluded from the MRI, where it showed that I had an infection/marble-size substance in the C3-C5 section of the spine. The neurosurgeon suggested that a biopsy was needed to remove/collect a specimen of the substance, and if I had declined, it could have resulted in shortening of breath, leading to an early demise. My mom and I decided to wait a few days and pray over the situation before making a decision. After receiving what felt like a confirmation at the time, we reached out to the neurosurgeon’s assistant to schedule the biopsy, which took place on October 15, 2010. The surgery consisted of my body being shutdown, and placed on a ventilator and attached to a medical apparatus (to shift my body in a fetal position). When I came out of surgery, I was placed in a recovery room for a few days. Later, I was moved to a standard hospital room, where a physical therapist was assigned to help me stand the following morning, but was unable to because the strength in my body had diminished. This took the physical therapist and I by surprise. She reached out to my family, and they were filled with mixed emotions, especially my mother. This led us to reach out to the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery – he assured us that this was a normal part of the process. However, it was very challenging for my family and I to accept. Not only did I lose the ability, but I lost strength in my upper extremities, preventing me from completing daily tasks, independently (e.g. cleaning, cooking, bathing, dressing, etc.) After regaining a moderate amount of strength, the doctors ordered additional MRIs, to confirm if the tumor was completely removed, but I was told that a partial amount of the tumor was present, which required me to go through a second surgery, prompting me to relearn how to perform various tasks, independently. Also, I lost bladder regulation. From there, I was sent home to connect with family, but was wheel-chair bound, and slept in a hospital bed. After staying there for two weeks, I was sent to Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia for intensive in-patient and out-patient therapy, where I was taught how to dress, feed, and bathe myself, transferring from the hospital bed to wheelchair to walker. I was there 4 months then returned home in 2011, where I returned to high school, and fortunate to graduate in 2013. I was able to take my first steps, independently, without the use of a medical device, just my mother’s supervision. Next, I enrolled into college, pursued an online 4 year-degree in Cyber-Security & Psychology. I was able to walk independently across the stage, independently, without my mother’s assistance. Since then, I’ve written a poetry book ( Rising Above It All: A poetry collection and children’s book (Miracle’s Journey to Greatness). I’m a motivational speaker also, who is striving to connect with elementary schools to inform them about the topic of disability and address the importance of youth empowerment.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth journey – I’ve faced numerous challenges and disappointments. I’ve had to depend on others greatly, due to lack of resources, but it allowed me to acquire strength overtime and trust the process of life, which I found to be extremely important when navigating life, especially as a believer of Christ.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a poet and children’s book author. I write poetry about resilience, self-worth, and faith using principles from the teachings of Jesus Christ. My story of overcoming great challenges sets me apart from others. I’m proud of being able to pour into the youth by speaking at schools, and sharing powerful words from my books.
How do you think about happiness?
Being able to encourage others through my journey of trials puts a smiile on my face. It shows me that joy still exists in the world, and can be used to proliferate joy into the hearts of humanity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.miraculouslyliving.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miraculously.living/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tyler.taylor.129/
