Tyler Hemming has been diagnosed with Stage Four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
A family is raising awareness of what their son is going through as they aim to raise funds for their son who has been diagnosed with stage four cancer. The 13-year-old was diagnosed after a lump in his neck was initially mistaken for tonsillitis.
Tyler Hemming first noticed the lump in early 2024, but it wasn’t until May that year, after his mum Charley Hemming, 32, insisted on further tests, that scans revealed the heartbreaking news that Tyler had Stage Four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
The cancer had spread to various parts of his body including his nose, throat, neck, collarbone, armpit, heart, spleen, abdomen and shoulder blade. Now, the family from Gosport, Hampshire, are hoping to fulfil Tyler’s dream of going fishing in Thailand once he completes his tough cancer treatment.
Charley said: “We’ve got to get Tyler to Thailand for his wish – he needs something to look forward to and a goal to focus on.”
She added: “At the moment it’s, ‘oh you’ve got to go to hospital for chemotherapy’.”
But Tyler’s health has suffered setbacks, including chest infections and Covid, leading to more time spent in hospital. Charley explained: “His mental health dipped and his physical health has dipped, so I need to do something for him.”
She believes a fishing trip would be perfect as it’s something he loves and she knows he will work hard to make himself better. He is an incredible boy and his strength and resilience is phenomenal.”
Despite being only 13, Tyler is a passionate cheerleader who competed in America for 16 days earlier this year with his cheer academy team at the youth summit for cheerleading – just weeks before his diagnosis in May. His mum Charley revealed that it was in January last year when Tyler noticed a lump in his neck.
They both visited the doctors, where they were told ‘it could be where he had tonsilitis’.
The mother-of-four said:”It wasn’t a definitive answer: the only side effect he had was a lump, that’s it – there were no other signs.
“I took him to the GP again this year before we went to America – so we went in February, April and May, where he did some blood tests, which still didn’t give any answers. We then went to America and when we got back we could see the lump had multiplied and had got bigger: they were bulging out of his neck.”
On May 16, Charley and Tyler went to Southampton General Hospital and that day discovered that Tyler had malignant cancer.
She said: “It’s been a whirlwind. We were so excited because at 12 years old he competed in an international competition and his team came second place out of over 100 teams.
“There was so much adrenaline and excitement, and then to come back and find out he has cancer. It’s been PET scans, MRI, so much testing has to be done”.
The family were “heartbroken” to discover shortly after his diagnosis that Tyler was riddled with the disease – from his nose, throat, neck, collar bone, armpits, cluster around his heart, all of his organ entry points, spleen, abdomen and shoulder blade.
Charley described the treatment as “the most intense chemo [she] has ever seen”. Despite everything, Charley said Tyler has received so much support from his family, friends and cheerleading team. She explained: “It’s a whole new world – especially for us as a family.
“The owners of the cheer team and cheer academy have rallied to help us – it’s a whole new world for them too. The first thing Tyler said when he found out was ‘I’m not quitting cheer’.
“His sister goes, his best mates and they’ve come to visit – he has visitors all the time! It’s crazy and lovely. He’s still on the team even though he’s not there at training and can’t compete – there’s always a place for him on the team.
“Tyler even shaved his head before his hair started falling out, and his dad, uncle, dad and grandad all shaved their heads together and one of the girls from cheer too. The treatment would have been a lot more difficult if he didn’t have this support.”
Tyler’s immune system is so compromised that he spends up to three weeks of every month in hospital, frequently fighting infections and soaring temperatures.
The meals he once enjoyed now leave him feeling nauseous and he’s accepted the reality of losing his hair and physical strength. Tyler’s treatment is showing progress, as he’s displaying non-active signs in some areas, however, the cancer remains very much active in others, Charley explained.
The young lad has another four rounds of chemotherapy before he is due to be scanned again in November, then he will begin radiotherapy for three-and-a-half weeks every day. Charley has taken unpaid compassionate leave from work to care for her son full-time, which has put the family under enormous financial pressure.
Additional costs for travel, food, and specialist care items – such as a filtered water dispenser, as Tyler can’t drink tap water – have quickly mounted up. This campaign is devoted solely to helping Tyler realise his greatest wish – to visit Thailand and go fishing, giving him a chance to experience joy and adventure again away from hospital life.
Charley added: “I’ve never known a kid to love fishing as much as Tyler – it’s what he does. If he’s not at cheer academy – he’s fishing, and he needs something to look forward to more than ever before. I need to get Tyler there for his wish.”
You can support Tyler here – https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-tyler-fulfil-his-wish-to-visit-thailand.