تايلر، 19 عامًا، جيلروي 

At 19 years old, Tyler Hodges is chasing big dreams—with grit, gratitude, and determination. A college student and athlete, Tyler’s life took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with a stage 3 malignant germ cell tumor, right at what he believed was the peak of his football career. “It felt like my life, and my future, was not only derailed—but over,” Tyler recalls. 

Tyler’s treatment journey was intense. He underwent surgery, endured months of intensive chemotherapy, and later faced a major operation to remove a five-pound tumor—an experience that left him with lasting nerve damage and scarring. Still, from the very beginning, Tyler says his care team at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford gave him something just as powerful as treatment: confidence. “They made me feel completely confident in what their plan was for the months ahead,” he says, “and they made me believe that I would get better in no time.” 

Throughout his hospital stay, Tyler was surrounded by physicians who never stopped showing up with encouragement. “At no point in seeing them would they not be smiling ear to ear, telling me how great a job I was doing,” he shares. That unwavering support helped Tyler push through the hardest days—and opened his eyes to something bigger. “My time in the hospital also opened me up to how many other teenagers and children there were, just like me, that had their goals derailed by cancer.” 

For five months, Tyler lay in a hospital bed imagining a future that felt impossibly far away. “I sat there dreaming of being able to play football again,” he says. Thanks to the extraordinary care he received—and generosity of donors who support cancer care and research at our hospital—Tyler not only beat cancer but returned to the field just six months after remission. “Now here I am,” he says, “living out my dreams that seemed so far away only last year.” 

Today, Tyler is passionate about giving back and advocating for pediatric cancer research. “These efforts need to be funded,” he says. “Your donations to cancer researchers who develop new treatments have helped me not only beat cancer but return to doing what I love.” He knows firsthand that research saves futures, not just lives. 

On Sunday, June 21, we will celebrate Tyler as a 2026 Summer Scamper Patient Hero and honor the donors who help turn hospital dreams into real-world victories. “All of you have helped bring our dreams to reality,” Tyler says. “And we are all extremely grateful.”