After facing a critical illness, bullying, gun violence, and poverty, Tyler's wish marked a turning point in his life and the start of a young Black boy dreaming.
Tyler’s wish to go to the Walt Disney World® Resort was granted in 2004 when he was 14-years-old. He said it's an experience that changed his life.
"I had never known anyone to ever go to Disney World," Tyler said. "I come from a low-income background, first-generation college student. This kind of felt like a dream come true."
Tyler was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder when he was in middle school. His single mother raised him and his brother and they had never been on a family vacation. Classmates were bullying him at school due to his weight, which fluctuated dramatically due to the medications he took for his illness. On many days, he felt hopeless.
“That was a pretty rough time in my life. When I think about the emotional toll it took on me, it was really challenging. I remember asking God, ‘why do bad things happen to good people?’”
The promise of his wish to experience Disney World with his mom, little brother and aunt, restored his hope.
“My wish gave me reasons to dream, and built me up as a person, inspiring me to push forward,” reflected Tyler. "It gave me an opportunity to take a break from reality and enjoy time with my family doing something my family otherwise wouldn’t ever have been able to do.”
Today, Tyler and his wife Justus, who now works for Make-A-Wish® Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana, said that trip 15-years-ago is still impacting their lives today.
“I give to Make-A-Wish because of what Make-A-Wish has given to me,” said Justus. She said Tyler’s wish transformed him into the selfless and passionate man he is today.
"I want to start a community center at one point, and it all started when I got to Make-A-Wish when I was 14-years-old," said Tyler. "It encouraged me to dream big, never give up on my dreams. It motivated me to give back and serve others like I was served, and it really just inspired me as a person, and keeps me going when I think about a rough period of my life."
Recently, Tyler lost his brother to gun violence. The wish trip they shared together are some of Tyler’s most precious memories, and the photos, irreplaceable.
“Although he’s gone, I can look back on these memories and get excited that I was able to have this time and these moments with him. It was a celebration of my wish, but I also created special life moments with my family. Having a wish granted continuously inspires me to give back and to be the change I wish to see in the world.”
