19-year-old Tyler Cole Ahl hadn't had much of an appetite for the last couple of months and rapidly lost 30 pounds. After two days of feeling weak and dizzy, he ended up in urgent care on October 26, 2015, where he passed out. He was immediately taken by ambulance to Norton-Brownsboro Hospital and was diagnosed with testicular cancer. At the time, Tyler's hemoglobin had dropped to 3 and he was given 3 units of A+ blood. The missing blood was what had been causing the weakness and dizziness and they weren’t sure where it went. Once they were sure he was stable he was transported to U of L Hospital and within hours, had surgery to remove the right testicle and was given two more units of blood.

In addition to the non-seminoma testicular cancer, a mass the size of a nerf football was located in Tyler’s abdomen that was later found to be perforating the small intestine which may have caused some internal bleeding as well as consuming some of the blood. At this time the mass is too large to be removed without serious risk of bleeding to death. This same situation also made it impossible for the medical team to insert a feeding tube past the point of perforation in order to keep up Tyler’s strength for chemotherapy, so they are going ahead with the chemo in the hopes that the mass will shrink enough to be safely removed. There is also a degenerative form of Wilms cancer in his urinary tract, and there are lesions on his liver and lungs.

Tyler and his mom have been in the hospital all but 24 hours since October 26 and he is undergoing his first intense course of chemo therapy through Brown Cancer Center where he receives 4 drugs daily over a 24-hour period of time for 5 days, 15 days without those drugs, and then back on for an 84-day treatment period. He continues to lose blood and currently has received 13 units of blood through transfusion. He is staying strong, but has a tough fight ahead of him.

Tyler’s mother, Andrea Ahl is a well-liked, self-employed, local hair and makeup artist. Tyler is a hard working kid who was working two, sometimes three jobs up to this point, and has a love for the film making industry. Tyler's spirits are good and he is fighting to beat his cancer, but as we all know, he and his mother face an extremely challenging treatment and recovery period. Neither one of them have worked since the rapid onset of these events, and even though Tyler has some insurance, the bills are quickly mounting. Normal living expenses coupled with extensive, life altering healthcare costs and a complete loss of income can quickly become overwhelming.

We can all help in some way. Many of us donate or volunteer to help large charitable organizations without knowing who, what or exactly how we are helping. This is an opportunity to help someone right here at home. Someone many of us have a connection to. Someone we can interact with. So please, do what you can. Spread the word. Write him and/or his mother an encouraging note. Pass along helpful information or recommendations. Donate food, time, needed items, gift cards or money. Every little bit helps. And of course positive thoughts and prayers are always helpful.

Right now we are starting a campaign to raise funds to help offset the growing financial imbalance in their lives. A benefit show/celebration led by Heidi Joy Stenson of the Moonlight Peddlers is being coordinated as you read this. Please give. Now. At the show. Later on. Whenever and however you can. You WILL make a difference in the life of this boy and his mother.

https://www.facebook.com/tylerfightsback/