Layton family cherishes every moment after 7-year-old daughter is given months to live
Aug 4, 2022, 5:09 PM | Updated: Aug 5, 2022, 10:56 am
LAYTON, Utah — The Tyler family’s life looks a lot different now that their daughter Jane, 7, has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. The family is now focused on helping her live life to the fullest.
In early July, Kate and Kristopher Tyler noticed changes in their daughter, particularly her energy level.
“She just kind of looked sick,” Kate Tyler said. “There were also some things we noticed with her eyes but we weren’t sure what was going on.”
The family recalls after a day at Lagoon, their usually energetic little girl was drained and grumpy. A couple of days later, Jane’s mother, who works in medicine, recognized an abnormal reflex.
“I was painting her toenails and on her left toe I noticed her big toe kept going up, commonly known as a Babinski sign,” she said.
The couple took Jane to the hospital and a couple of days later an MRI revealed a gum-ball size tumor in her brain stem.
“Doctors tried to do a biopsy but every time her heart would stop,” Kate said.
Doctors tell the family patients with a tumor like this are given nine to 18 months to live. Jane is now being treated for DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma). She will undergo radiation treatment Monday through Friday in Salt Lake City for six weeks.
Her parents are still trying to grasp their new reality and said it was challenging to think about the future.
“It’s hard because you want to live in the now with her especially because there isn’t a lot of time left,” Kate said.
The couple is now focusing on keeping Jane happy and comfortable as the tumor impacts her walking, vision and speech.
“We got her a dog, she wanted a dog. We are going to go to Disneyland,” Kristopher Tyler said about his daughter. “We’re trying to make the time for her as nice as we can.”
The couple said family, friends and community support are getting them through this.
A GoFundMe* account has been set up to help the family with medical expenses.
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
