2008-09-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

Scouting today, John & Steven took Tyler & Jessica and happened upon a Rattle Snake. John killed and brought home the rattle.

2008-09-01T20:20:00.001-07:00

Local boy featured on MDA telethon

By Keri Lunt
Staff Writer
Published on Sunday, August 31, 2008 4:38 PM MST

Like almost any other 12-year-old boy, Tyler Black enjoys sports, video games and the Arizona Diamond-backs. The only difference is that Tyler has Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease— a form of muscular dystrophy.

This year, Tyler was picked as one of two people from this region to be the subject of a videotaped profile that will appear on the national broadcast of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.

Tyler’s parents, John and Kris Black, realized something was wrong when at the age of 5, Tyler “couldn’t keep up,” Kris said.

Tyler Black takes a swing while playing baseball on his Nintendo Wii. He will be featured on the Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon that begins at 6 p.m. on Aug. 31. In the Thatcher area, the national telethon and local segments can be seen on KGUN Channel 9. Photo by Keri Lunt

He was diagnosed with the neurological disorder, and while at the Children’s Clinic for Rehabilitation Services in Tucson, he was referred to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

MDA staff among other things, told the family about a summer camp in Heber for children with muscular dystrophy. Tyler has attended the camp for four years. At the camp, children play wheelchair soccer, baseball, ride horses, make crafts and play games.

During his second year at camp, Tyler met Joyce Vyriotes. Vyriotes is a health care services coordinator for MDA. He and Vyriotes became fast friends. Soon after they met, MDA chose Tyler and his parents to be profiled on the 2007 Tucson broadcast of the Telethon.

An interview with the Black family and highlights from camp will be on the broadcast.

Last year before the telethon Tyler held a fund-raiser at Thatcher Middle School to raise money for MDA. “Caps for a Cure” day allowed children to donate $1 to the cause, and they could wear a hat on Friday. The project raised $790, which was presented to MDA on the Tucson broadcast of the Telethon.

Tyler plans to host the fund-raiser again this year before the national telethon and expand to the primary and elementary schools.

Black uses leg braces to keep himself stabilized and uses a wheelchair for long distances. Kris said from Tyler’s knees down and from his elbows down he has what she called an “electric short”— meaning the brain doesn’t tell the nerves how to work correctly.

The disease causes muscle weakness and wasting, and Kris said too much exercise or writing can do more damage than good.

Though Tyler’s disease is incurable, Black said, Tyler is hopeful and hardly ever negative. Tyler’s favorite subject is math, and when he grows up, he said he’d like to be a coach, work with the Diamondbacks or be a scientist.”I don’t notice (my disease) that much,” Tyler said.

The telethon begins at 6 p.m. on Aug. 31. In the Thatcher area, the national telethon and local segments can be seen on KGUN, Channel 9.

John's Bobcat

2008-08-26T15:27:00.001-07:00

John got his bobcat. The taxidermist said it was the largest one he had ever seen. He is getting it mounted, and can't hardly wait to get it back.

Tyler on MDA Telethon, Monday, September 1, 2008

2008-08-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

Tyler Black – Tyler Black, a seventh grader from Thatcher, Ariz., will be featured with his parents John and Kris in a videotaped profile during the national broadcast of the Telethon. Tyler, 12, has Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a neurological disorder that causes weakness and atrophy of the muscles of the hands and lower legs, with foot deformities and some loss of sensation in the feet. Tyler walks with leg braces, but for longer distances uses a wheelchair. He enjoys video games, swimming and basketball, and also participates in fundraisers for MDA at his school.

Tyler Meets His IDOL - BRANDON WEBB

2008-08-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Mark McClune made it possible for Tyler to have one of his dreams come true. He got to go to the Diamondbacks game and go in the dugout and go to batting practice. His eyes about popped out of his head and he was speechless but he got to meet Brandon Webb who is Tyler's most favorite Pitcher. What a day!!! The picture is a little fuzzy but it is Kaiden, Tyler and Brandon Webb in the Diamondbacks dugout.

BLACK Family Blog

Local boy featured on MDA telethon

John's Bobcat

Tyler on MDA Telethon, Monday, September 1, 2008

Tyler Meets His IDOL - BRANDON WEBB