This weekend was a weekend that I was looking forward to. Great wrestling in Maize Kansas, and then on Sunday, John Smith and the OSU wrestling team had offered to have Tyler, his family, me and Nate as a special guest at the OSU / OU dual. Imagine this little boy who has inspired so many as a guest at one of the largest and most anticipated duel’s in the country. I can’t tell you how forward Tyler and his family were in looking forward to this. Tyler has developed many admirers on both the OU and OSU wrestling teams and the more I am around this little 8-year-old boy, the more I am amazed at his love for wrestling. Truth be told, he has a love for the sport that goes beyond anything I have ever seen. Truth also be told, he can’t enjoy the one thing he loves the most.
Over the last months many have made commitments and promises to help out with Tyler and his families medical expenses, many have come through and to those I want you to know how grateful the family is. We are still waiting on the others and look forward to those coming through with their commitment. Truth is though, that over the last weeks Tyler has not been doing so well. I just got off the phone with his mother who is at the hospital with him in Kansas City and there are a number of concerns including the possibility that the cancer has spread to his stomach. This has caused numerous problems with eating, and well, you can imagine the rest. Long story made short, Tyler, nor the rest of us will be going to the duel this weekend, he will likely be in the hospital for some time and may not be out to attend the clinic to be held for him at his home wrestling club on Thursday March 3. We still need clinicians, and wrestlers to sign up for that. We also need challenge matches for that particular event. I would hope that the wrestling community would continue to come together to help this little boy who has inspired so many. I am still hoping that it is possible that at the Kansas Kids State tournament that something special can be done for Tyler.
I’m like most of the other folks on these forums, I have a measure of pride and truth be told I hate to beg for anything, but right now I’m begging on behalf of this little boy. Send a card, say a prayer, do what you can to let him know that you are moved by the love of the sport he has and the inspiration he has provided. I saw a personal letter sent to him by Cael Sanderson recently, I have spoken on a weekly basis to people like T.C. Dantzler and Eric Akin who have gone out of their way to help. I know of phone calls from people like Rulon Gardner and I could go on and on. Truth is that this little boy has inspired many in the wrestling community, because of his courage, heart, and love of the sport I am willing to beg. I ask you again to do what you can to help out, especially pray, but beyond that don’t forget that as many go to either wrestle this weekend, or go watch wrestling, that there is a little boy that would love to be where you are but can’t. Right now Tyler is at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. The address is Children's Mercy Hospital 4 Henson, Rm 4413, Tyler Graebner 2401 Gillham Rd Kansas City, MO 64108.
