Tyler FINALLY Gets a Gift!

This guy should look familiar to you. He’s been involved with Team Summer from the beginning.

In June of 2011, a few months before Team Summer founder, Summer Dale, was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma, Tyler was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in his rib cage. Summer and Tyler met through mutual friends and became the best of
friends, sharing their hardships and supporting each other throughout their cancer journeys in the best Team Summer spirit.

You may remember that it was Tyler (and Lacey) who surprised Summer by flying out to Houston to see her after her brain surgery.

And it was Tyler (and Lacey) who spoke at Summer’s ‘s memorial service last November. (That’s Summer’s twin brother, Jordan on the right.)

Since then, you’ve seen Tyler giving Team Summer gifts to other kids with cancer.

And Tyler is now on the Team Summer Board of Directors.
But there is one thing that Tyler has not done. He has never received a Team Summer gift! Summer had talked about it a lot, but somehow it just never happened.

Last month, the Team Summer board decided that the kid who had done so much for so many others, and had been through what all the other Team Summer kids have gone through, should know what it is like to get a Team Summer gift…especially if he is out there giving them.

Through some clever subterfuge by Lacey, Tyler thought he was helping pick out a Team Summer gift for a kid about his age, but he was really picking out a gift for himself! And Lacey had the honor and privilege of surprising him with it:  A bi-plane ride with aerobatics! Wahooo!

A few weeks ago, Tyler took his ride! We doubt anyone could have enjoyed it more! The pilot, Lee Kluger of Bi-Plane Adventures (www. biplaneride.com) said he was amazed at how well Tyler’s stomach took all the flips and turns. They did not bother him a bit. We are sure it’s because a bi-plane is nothing compared to chemo! Many thanks to Lee for including pictures of Tyler’s ride free of charge!