For years, doctors said nothing was wrong with Tyler Vickary-Walker — that was until his mum decided to Google his symptoms and uncovered what everyone had missed
A mum and dad only discovered their son had a rare condition after Googling his symptoms.
When Tyler Vickary-Walker was born, his parents Kelly Walker and Mike Vickary began to suspect something wasn’t quite right.
Tyler was born with a ridge at the front of his head but Kelly was told there was nothing wrong with him. The mum and dad became concerned about his development when he was still unable to walk or talk by the time he was three years old.
After Kelly started researching symptoms online, they found a match with a rare condition called craniosynostosis. According to the NHS, craniosynostosis is a rare condition in which a baby’s skull does not grow properly and their head becomes an unusual shape. The condition is usually treated with surgery.
A baby may have a problem like craniosynostosis if their head is long and narrow, their forehead is pointy or triangular, one side of their head is flattened or bulging out, or the soft spot on the top of their head disappears before they are one year-old.
It wasn’t until Kelly emailed a surgeon specialising in trigonocephaly that she was told Tyler should go to the doctors, where he was then referred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Mike, 38, from Wallasey, said: “The hospital at first wouldn’t listen. He wasn’t talking or walking at four years-old. He had to use sign language. We knew there was something wrong, we just didn’t know what to do.
“We kept going in saying, we think there’s something wrong. They just kept saying, oh no, he’s fine. Then Kelly thought, I need to search up on this. That’s when she Googled it and it came up.”
Kelly, 40, also from Wallasey, said: “He was born with the condition but he wasn’t diagnosed until he was four years-old. It was his head shape – he had a ridge from the top of his head running down to his nose.
“We’d done all the research to get a diagnosis for him. Professionals were saying there was nothing wrong with him. Then I emailed the surgeon who asked us to take him to the doctors and he was diagnosed that way.”
At Alder Hey, Tyler underwent a nine-hour operation to reconstruct his skull. He also received support from Headlines Craniofacial Support, a charity which helps people with the condition.
Tyler has gone on to surpass the expectations set for him. Kelly said: “The doctor said he’d be a bit slower than other kids and he would never be able to ride a bike. Me and Mike then got funding to get him a specialised bike to build up his muscles and now he can ride a bike just as well as any child.”
Mike added: “Physically, he couldn’t do anything. Now he plays football. They said he wouldn’t be able to run around with his friends and he does that as well. It’s amazing how he’s overcome everything.”
Now, Mike and Tyler are gearing up to give back to Headlines and the craniofacial department at Alder Hey. Despite having no previous experience, the duo is set to embark on a 200-mile bike ride across the breathtaking landscapes of north Wales on October 10 to raise funds for the two organisations.
They’ve secured sponsorship from Jacksons Leisure Supplies in Bromborough and Hype Bikes in Liverpool.
Mike shared: “We were just watching YouTube videos about a route called Traws Eryri, which translates as Trans Snowdonia. We were thinking about doing it and then Tyler said, why don’t we try and go for those two places?”.
“We started training yesterday. We’ve got sore bums at the moment off the saddles, but we’re looking forward to it. It’s a 125 mile route and then we’re adding onto it.
“When we finish at Conway Castle, we’ve got to ride back to Seacombe Ferry from there. It’s brand new for us. I’m trying to lose a bit of weight in the process.”
Kelly added: “It’s nice to see what you’re both doing. I’m proud of you both. It’s nice to raise money for the other families affected by this.”
You can learn more about the challenge via the JustGiving page here.