The Tyler Family

Photo courtesy of Ashley Burke Photography

Jessica and Jeff Tyler are strong supporters of Imagine!. They live in Broomfield, CO with their two sons Will and Ben, and contribute a monthly donation. The Tyler family met Imagine! in early 2017 under trying circumstances, but since then, the relationship has blossomed.

Shortly after Ben was born, he and his father tripped down the stairs and ended up in the emergency room. Jeff dislocated his shoulder, while Ben suffered a brain bleed and began treatment in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Children’s Hospital.

“Picture this teeny tiny baby, covered in gauze, electrical pads and wires, and in a coma,” said Jessica. “We were devastated.”

Jessica and Jeff very quickly asked for support through social media, and received a plethora of heartwarming and sympathetic messages. “There were literally thousands of people around the world praying for this kid,” said Jessica. “We couldn’t keep up with all the inquiries and notes of support.” In addition, one of Jessica’s former workplaces launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Ben’s hospital bills, and nearby friends and family dropped off meals that lasted for six weeks.

About a week into the NICU treatment, doctors weened Ben off sedating medication and he started to move his eyes around and looked at his parents, recognizing people in front of him. “That’s when we knew we had a good shot at recovery,” said Jessica.

Two weeks after the incident, Ben was released from Children’s Hospital and the Tyler family could be at home again as a family. Upon leaving the hospital, the nurses hosted a brief education session to prepare them for life after the hospital. In this same meeting, they mentioned Imagine!.

“I called Imagine! right away,” said Jessica. She was directed to the Early Intervention department. “I didn’t even know where to start and Erika Skewes (Imagine! Service Coordination Supervisor) knew exactly who to connect me with.” Erika advocated for Ben to receive as many services as possible to give him the best care right away. At three months old, Ben began physical, occupational, and vision therapies.

Fast forward to 15 months later, you’ll see a happy and healthy boy running around, using one syllable words.

“We had doctors tell us that they didn’t know if he was going to walk or talk. And now you see that he’s doing both those things and more,” said Jessica. “It’s truly been miraculous.”

Not only does Ben run around, he runs under, over, and through everything in sight. His spirit for adventure is very rich as he continues to develop his motor and speech skills.

“See that lamp over there?” asks Jessica with a laugh. “That’s courtesy of Ben, throwing it on the floor last week.” She also points to a scar next to his eye, explaining how he head butted a bed frame during a game of chase.

Jessica laughs as she impersonates her son, “whatever mom, I’m gonna do whatever I want. I almost died, fool!” She continues, “We think on some level he knows what happened and he’s like ‘bring it!’"

The Tyler family feels strongly that without Ben’s therapy team from Imagine!, and without Erika pushing to get him that head start, his life could be much more challenging. “It’s not lost on us how different his story could have been,” said Jessica.

Now that Ben is recovering well and healthy, the Tyler family decided to show their gratitude by donating to both Imagine! and Children’s Hospital on a monthly basis. “We’ve been able to receive everything we could have ever wanted for Ben, it’s the least we can do to just give back a little bit,” said Jessica.

After the accident, the Tylers sold their house in Lafayette as a way to “move” on from the accident and start fresh in a new home. While deciding where to move, it was on their minds to stay in Imagine!’s service area. “We wanted to make sure to keep the band together,” said Jessica. “We thought about moving back to Portland near family, but want to keep Ben with his therapists until he’s grown up.”

Imagine! is honored to work with such a loving family as the Tylers, and would like to thank them for sharing their story.