TYLER’S STORY
Tyler with Dr. Bacha
At a well visit in November 2004, my pediatrician, Dr. Roger Knapp with Cook Children's Medical Center, heard something he didn't like. Dr. Knapp wanted to be a cardiologist before deciding to become a pediatrician and this ended up being one of many lucky moments in my life. He heard a murmur and wanted us to get it checked out.
My dad and I went to the hospital a few days later for an echocardiogram appointment. The appointment went fairly quickly and was as my dad described it, a baby sonogram for my heart. After my echo appointment, we headed to the parking garage and then the phone rang. It was my mom. She was in tears. In the time it took us to finish the echo at the hospital and walk to the car, a cardiologist reviewed my echo, called our pediatrician's office who in turn relayed the severity of the situation to my mom. She told my dad I needed to have open heart surgery. I saw my dad's face suddenly turn pale. By the time we got home 45 minutes later, my mom already had an appointment with a cardiologist and was already talking with a family friend who was a cardiologist (Dr. Andrew Lashus) in the same hospital for a second opinion. My parents set out to find the best doctors and hospital in the country to have the surgery.
Dr. Lashus studied with a world-renowned pediatric cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Roger Mee who was the head of the Cleveland Clinic and arranged for him to consult on my case. Dr. Mee had verified that I could be airlifted to Cleveland for the surgery and offered to do the surgery but wanted to have a more in-depth discussion with my parents. He told them that he felt he could provide exceptional skill and a tremendous hospital but couldn't supply the access to the family and friends which is equally as important in my recovery. He explained that before a surgeon is allowed to operate on a heart patient, he is already one of the best in his field. To become a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon, you are now dealing with the best of the best. My diagnosis was aortic stenosis insufficiency caused by a bicuspid aortic valve. I had two leaflets instead of three, and my heart valve wasn't properly opening and closing which caused an enlarged heart. As a six-year-old, Dr. Mee told my family and me that we had a tremendous surgeon in Dr. Vincent Tam at Cook Children's Hospital, and amazing cardiologists Dr. Deborah Schutte (now Medical Director, Cardiology at Cook Children's) along with Dr. Lashus to help oversee the aftercare and recovery. The access to family and friends would be best served by remaining in Ft. Worth and doing the surgery close to home. From that point on we have approached each obstacle with purpose and determination to remain strong along the road ahead.
After a very successful surgery by Dr. Tam and his team, they were up in my room playing PlayStation with me. A volunteer came to bring me a stuffed animal which brought a big smile to my face. They truly cared about my family and me and made a point to make me feel safe and comfortable.
Tyler with Favorite nurses at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital NYC
I have always been an active kid. I played soccer, tennis, football, basketball and baseball as a young child. Following my 1st procedure, I remained active in sports by winning a state title in Texas for basketball, flag football as the quarterback and a Zone Championship (TX, OK, LA) in baseball.
After five years from my first surgery, my heart continued to grow and the repair that was made didn't grow with me, which we knew would be the case. An additional repair was made in 2009, but foreign materials were needed to complete the repair. After approximately six months my body began to reject the material, and the repair began to fail, so I underwent my 3rd open heart surgery in 2010 and recieved an artificial pig valve to replace my aortic valve. Expecting the valve to last 8-10 years, we were disappointed when my body began to reject the valve after about three years. At that time I was a freshman in high school and living in the New York area. I needed another open heart procedure to replace my failing aortic valve. Fortunately, upon moving to New York, my cardiologist in Texas was able to refer us to a doctor who she had trained with previously, Dr. Julie Vincent (current Chief of Cardiology) and is now at New York Presbyterian's Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.
This time, I had to undergo the Ross procedure. ABC at the time had a television documentary series called NY Med and filmed me for the series along with my surgery. The series was canceled before my segment was aired. This procedure entailed taking the pigs valve out and placing the pulmonary valve in the aortic valve position and putting an artificial valve in the pulmonary position. With this procedure, the hope was that my tissue would last longer and grow with me as the aortic valve endures most of the pressure within the heart. My pulmonary valve was replaced with an artificial valve that took on less strain and would hopefully last longer. At this point, I was already a successful high school quarterback and hoped to be a top prospect for top colleges around the country. I trained with Alabama and NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Greg McElroy as well as with current Cleveland Browns quarterback coach David Lee. In June, following the Ross procedure and while I was recovering, I was told I would be the starting varsity quarterback that fall as a sophomore. During a follow-up visit about 30 days later, we were told I couldn't leave the hospital and would need an emergency surgery. I had developed a type of embolism in the sack around the heart that was restricting the blood flow to my heart. In an attempt to repair the leak through a catheter in my leg they were unsuccessful due to the location of the leak being unreachable without another open heart procedure. Still sedated since 7 am that morning I went to the operating room around 11 am.
Tyler with Dr. Knapp
My surgery lasted until 10 pm that evening. Afterward, we learned how grave the situation was and that they had lost me twice on the operating table. Dr Bacha explained that heart procedures are all very controlled yet stressful environments and rarely live up to the drama witnessed in TV and movie portrayals. Unfortunately, when they attempted to make the repair, the embolism ruptured sending blood everywhere resulting in the first time they lost me but were able to stabilize me and put me on the bypass machine. Due to the extensive work needed and the length of time that I was on the bypass machine, they had difficulty reviving me but were ultimately successful. The result required that I get a mechanical valve that would mean taking Coumadin, a blood thinner, on a daily basis for the remainder of my life. Fortunate to have tremendous surgeons, I felt lucky and blessed that the surgery was a success. Putting in the mechanical valve marked the end of my football and basketball career, so I turned to continue my passion towards baseball. With an appropriate batting helmet and a protective fielders hat, I could still pursue my love of baseball. Risks such as difficulties of clotting and increased bleeding as a result of concussions come with my daily life on Coumadin, but I don't let that stop me.
I was devastated when I lost the ability to continue playing football. I turned that frustration and passion towards helping my teammates that season and coached from the sidelines and focused my sports interests solely on baseball. On the baseball diamond, I have been a varsity starter since freshman year and a team captain both junior and senior years. I have already noticed how the valve has made a difference in not only how I feel but with my performance as well. Playing sports is a big part of my life but trying to help others avoid a similar path of hardships has become my passion.
Upon hearing that my valve needed to be replaced because my body tends to reject certain foreign tissues, I heard of research being done to develop heart valves from one’s tissue. This sparked my idea of starting my foundation. What I want to be known for is what I can and have accomplished. I want to play an active role in helping others not only get through similar situations but to also change the world one beat at a time. Herein lies the formation of the Fischer Heart Foundation.
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Articles that tell Tyler's story from a sports perspective