Overcoming the Obstacles of Cerebral Palsy

Tyler Sexton has been an overcomer since the day he was born. So have his parents, Lisa and Kevin.

When Tyler was born at 28 weeks, doctors immediately placed him in an incubator and said, “We’re rushing him by helicopter to a hospital four hours away. His lungs will likely collapse, and there’s a chance that he could die mid-flight.” Tyler survived, but a long road that included 16 surgeries had just begun.

At 18 months, Tyler was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The news so devastated Lisa that she closed every blind and every curtain in her house and cried for two days, mourning the loss of the healthy baby she’d expected to be born and the perfect life she’d dreamed of having, now lost.

But Lisa and Kevin found the strength in Christ to rise up and move forward. After two days, Lisa threw open her curtains – and her heart – and told Tyler, “You are going to be the cutest, sweetest, smartest, most darling little boy with cerebral palsy. And I’m going to be proud of you.”

As Tyler grew, Lisa and Kevin dared him to dream big and to reach for the moon. Their belief in him transformed his entire life by teaching him to turn “I can’t” into “I can.” Since then, Tyler has learned to walk, to drive, and to achieve two of the highest qualifications in the realm of scuba diving. Tyler is also now Doctor Tyler Sexton, the Medical Director of Singing River Pediatrics.

If you’ve ever questioned the positive influence love can have in a child’s life, you’ll want to join us for our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Overcoming the Obstacles of Cerebral Palsy.” Hear Lisa and Tyler’s amazing story on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.

I’d like to offer you a copy of Lisa and Tyler’s book No Such Thing as Can’t for a gift of any amount. Give us a call at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459). And when you help Focus on the Family, your donation will be doubled for twice the impact in helping others through this ministry. Our thanks to generous donors who’ve made that possible. Visit our website for more information.