Stories

In an essay Tyler once wrote about the importance of community and supporting community. The families who visit Golisano Children’s Hospital and the caring medical teams here are indeed a community.  There is a level of understanding and bonding that happens when a child and their family face medical hardships. Tyler and his family became a part of this hospital community after his two stays here.

One could easily see how a family might want to distance themselves from this community after the loss of a child. Inspired by Tyler, the Hutt Family and the Tyler Strong Foundation did the opposite. They embraced this community and in doing so showed us all that love continues on after death. Through donations and participation in hospital events they showed us this hospital and its staff are to be trusted, to be believed in and to invest in.  They showed love to the families who rely on this hospital day in and day out by making sure they know they are not alone in their hardships. The Tyler Strong Foundation investments mean the care for these kids will continue to be top notch, on the cutting edge and as comfortable as possible. On behalf of Golisano Children’s Hospital, thank you for not only investing your dollars here but investing your love here as well.

I’m not sure where’s the best place to start in terms of what receiving the TYLERSTRONG scholarship means to me. Do I start with my relationship with Tyler, our bond on the football field, how great of a kid he was, or how much his family means to me? All I know is that I am eternally grateful for winning the scholarship. It is one of the things in my life I am most proud of. To be associated with Tyler and his family is an honor, as Tyler was one of the nicest kids you’ll ever meet. I moved to Victor halfway through sophomore year. My first day I was petrified and resentful towards the new change. I sat at the corner of a random table, hoping I hadn’t taken anyone’s spot and that maybe I might actually be able to start making some friends. I was so lucky to have Tyler sit across from me. We quickly got to talking about the Bills and how much better they were than the Browns. It was the first time I had felt truly welcomed at Victor and had some sense of normalcy. This is the effect that Tyler had on everyone. Not one negative word has ever been spoken of him. Well except for some jokes I made when he dropped Spanish and left me all alone in that class. He was a bright light in the world. When Tyler passed, we were all devastated, and we weren’t sure what to do. We still had our senior football season ahead of us with our toughest schedule yet. But Tyler brought us all together in a way that we never could have imagined. It was as if through his passing he became part of all of us. Our team was one and we played our hearts out every game for something bigger than ourselves, for Tyler. We carried him with us everywhere we went and never forgot Tyler’s compassion and love for the game. I swear to this day he blocked that kick for us in our first game against Pittsford. Then there’s his family, the Hutt’s are some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met, and most definitely the strongest. The adversity they showed and love they poured out to us after losing a son is something I’ll never forget. To think, it all really started with Parker shoving a cannoli in my face, which has now turned them into a second family of mine. I’m forever grateful to the Hutt’s and everyone else involved in naming me the first recipient of the TYLERSTRONG scholarship, as it will forever be one of my proudest achievements. To even be remotely associated with Tyler and his passion and reputation is something I’ll hold near and dear to my heart for the rest of my years. Knowing to make the best of every situation and never give up. Never forget, TYLERSTRONG!