'It just broke Tyler': Community donates more than £27,000 to Telford firefighter father's fundraiser after 35-year-old's devastating cancer blow
A beloved Telford firefighter and father of two is battling terminal cancer while his wife searches tirelessly for private treatment options abroad - and the Shropshire community has rallied to pledge tens of thousands of pounds to the cause.
Tyler Davies and Chloe Jones, both 35 now, met 16 years ago on a night out in Telford town centre, were engaged within three months and married a year to the day after their first meeting.
"It was one of those corny things", Chloe told the Shropshire Star. "They told us it was silly, it wouldn't last. Look at us now - living together with two young children [Rowan, 13, and Aubree, 10]."
Tyler, born in Wellington, is a product manager and on-call firefighter popular with colleagues - though he has been unable to work since developing severe abdominal pain last year, which has led to a devastating cancer diagnosis.
Chloe explained: "It was July when he started having symptoms. There was a failed biopsy in October, they managed to get a biopsy in November but by November they were like 'it's highly likely it's going to be cancer' [...] and they had already pencilled us in for surgery."
Tyler had been diagnosed with transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis, an especially rare diagnosis for a non-smoker in his age group. Cigarettes and industrial chemical exposure are major risk factors.
It seemed the surgery in December to remove Tyler's left kidney ureter and bladder cuff was a success, with the cancer contained to his kidney. He was told he would need a 12-week course of chemotherapy to kill off remaining cancer cells, as well as check-ups for the rest of his life.
Things seemed "quite positive", Chloe said, but within a week Tyler was rushed back to hospital with appendicitis and peritonitis and given "aggressive" antiobiotics due to his recent surgery. "He had a bit of a raw deal."
In the following weeks, Chloe alleges, Tyler's complaints about severe pain in his back were not taken seriously enough.
"Throughout the end of December and January Tyler complained regularly with his symptoms being ignored.
"On January 16 he had a full chest and abdominal CT scan which was reported as 'no concerns'.
"I kept saying the pain he was in, eight or nine out of 10 - when he had his kidney out, he had four. Something's not right.
"On February 3 Tyler was taken to hospital where I demanded more tests be done due to his pain score being off the chart.
"Again it was reported the CT scan report was clear. After pushing for more testing such as MRI, the CT scan imaging was reviewed and our world changed forever.
"Tyler had a fractured vertebrae which was due to the cancer spreading to his spine, with multiple lesions on his spine and pelvis.
"Aggressive radiotherapy was started straight from the consultation for five days and a new immunotherapy hybrid was started."
Chloe said the diagnosis was terminal and the family was told to expect Tyler could live between 10 and 30 months longer depending on the course of treatment.
She wasn't prepared to stop fighting, and began researching private options in the UK and abroad in the hopes of extending Tyler's life expectancy. She is due to hear from UK specialists next week once they have reviewed his scans, and she is exploring treatment in Germany too.
She admitted the prospect of paying for private treatment was frightening.
"It's hard, it's someone's life that's on the line, but you've got that fear factor. The NHS has always been there, it's a safety blanket. This private side gives me a bit of dread.
"He is a young fit man with two young children and doesn’t deserve to have his life taken away from him because of this."
At first, as they learned to adapt to the bombshell news they had received, the family kept it to themselves.
"We'd been telling people about his kidney, his first cancer, and we were telling people on the regular 'this is where he's at: he's had the op, he's back in with appendicitis and peritonitis'.
"After being told [the cancer had spread] we just went into shutdown and kept it quiet to our family, just to take it in really.
"It feels like we're living to a clock. We've had to take the clock out of the bedroom because it was giving [Tyler] nightmares. He was having terrible dreams about clocks.
"It was so hard; close friends got involved, I needed a lot of support with my young children. Some of my close friends fed me.
"I was getting overwhelmed thinking I might have to sell the house, get it remortgaged."
Before long one of Chloe's friends had suggested turning to the Telford community for support.
"She said 'set up a GoFundMe, people will be there to help you - don't try and do this on your own'.
"I was mortified to be honest, feeling like I was begging. She told me it wasn't begging, people could choose to help us.
"Within 24 hours it had raised £7,000; that just broke Tyler to be honest. I said 'it just shows you what people think of you', with the firefighting."
Donations have flooded in from Telford and further afield, with more than £27,000 pledged in just over a week. Tyler's employer Five Tech Ltd has pitched in with a generous £4,000 towards the £100,000 target.
To learn more and donate, visit gofundme.com/f/tylers-transitional-cell-carcinoma-cancer-fight.
Friends and family have been helping in other ways too: with Tyler unable to drive the couple's son Rowan to football training in the Black Country and Kidderminster, Chloe's father and the parents of other players have been pitching in.
"It's a bit rubbish for Tyler because he wants to go and watch," said Chloe. "Sometimes when he feels up to it we take him along.
"Rowan and Tyler do a lot together. They [Rowan and sister Aubree] are struggling, definitely."
Friend of the family Dan Bragoli of Interiors Direct is currently working to refit the family's bathroom as a wet room better suited to Tyler's needs.
And another of Chloe's close friends, Kate Whalmsley, is hard at work organising a fundraising fun day in Madeley on May 16.
The event will be held at The Venue in Hills Lane and is set to include food stalls, bouncy castles, a raffle and DJs. Individuals and companies are pledging their support for that day too, and flyers have been prepared.
Meanwhile the charity Macmillan Cancer Support has been a huge source of support to Chloe and the family too, helping her manage becoming a full-time carer for her husband.
"It's amazing how many people are willing to help."
