There were 615 success stories that walked across the Chaparral Center stage at Midland Lee’s graduation ceremony Saturday morning. One story to be remembered for a lifetime is that of Tyler Seedig.
In February 2008, Tyler Seedig told his mom it would be his preference if someone from Lee High School could just mail him his diploma come graduation day.
A junior at the time, Tyler was shy and introverted; someone who did not take to crowds and who dreaded the thought of getting up and walking across a stage in front of almost 3,000 people.
Tyler's mom Lori Hostas (at left, with Tyler) encouraged her son to rethink his position. She told him how important it would be for her to see him walk the stage. Tyler thought about it and would finally relent, promising mom he would make the walk, though he remained somewhat uncomfortable at the thought.
Tyler’s quiet, to-himself personality would change, however, as would the rest of his life, on November 30, 2008, when he suffered severe injuries in an automobile accident near Sweetwater that would take the life of his kid brother, Tanner, a ninth-grader at Lee Freshman. At the accident scene, Tyler attempted to rescue his brother from the wreckage, but the truck Tyler had been driving exploded, killing Tanner and giving Tyler his life-threatening burns.
"He was my best friend," Tyler said of his little brother this weekend.
Tyler was given a 15 percent chance of survival. He sunk into a month-long coma and remained in intensive care for weeks. That he survived was miracle No. 1. His long road back is miracle No. 2.
Lori, waging and winning the courageous and difficult battle of losing one son while nurturing another through recovery, told me at her son's graduation party Saturday that when Tyler woke from his coma, his introverted self began to disappear. She had been told by doctors that the type of trauma he experienced can sometimes change a person's mental and emotional makeup. All of a sudden, her son, who had mostly just tolerated school, made it his goal to not only finish but to walk across a stage he wanted no part of last year.
After the accident, Tyler knew what he had to do to make it all happen. "He told his rehab therapist that he wanted to focus on walking up and down steps so that he could walk the stage like he promised me he would do," Lori said.
And he did, but that's no surprise for him or his family. Impossible has met its match in Tyler Seedig, who just five months ago lie in a coma as family members held vigil over him while mourning the loss of Tanner.
Saturday was big for Tyler. In graduating and receiving his diploma, he took huge steps to restore his own life, gave his family immense pride, and bestowed honor to the memory of his best friend.
YOU ARE AWESOME TYLER, WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU.
Posted by: Dovie Stark | Monday, June 01, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Ty, You are an amazing young man and we are so proud
of you and all your hard work and appreciate everyone for all of their prayers and support during the last
6 months.
Ty's Nana & Papa
Posted by: Doris Roberts | Tuesday, June 02, 2009 at 04:37 PM
awesome! God is good and still in the miracle working business. to go through this tragedy and will yourself to this accomplishment speaks volumes. although we've never met i was overwhelmed with emotions when they called your name and you walked across that stage. you are a blessing and inspiration! mrs. hostas i pray that God will continue to strengthen you and tyler.
Posted by: henderson parent | Tuesday, June 09, 2009 at 12:31 AM