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ANDERSON — When the Liberty Christian Lions seek toughness, they need look no further than their sophomore point guard Tywaine Fuller.
“He’s a tough kid, one of the toughest I know,” LC coach Norm Anderson said.
A sprinter on the track team and a high scorer for the soccer team, Fuller brings great speed to the LC offense while handling the ball and scoring when needed.
He is the floor general. The game is his show, and the toughness he brings is second to none.
Fuller has had no choice but to be tough since he began developing intestinal health issues as a child.
Frequently experiencing discomfort and sickness, Fuller was shuttled back and forth to area emergency rooms and doctors in search of answers.
“We would just go to the hospital and they would get all the poop out, a decompaction is what they call it,” said Fuller’s mother, Ikiyshia Jackson. “They would clear him out and he would be fine for a few months, then it would come back. We went three times for decompaction and the last time we went, he could barely walk.”
After not getting permanent answers locally, Jackson took Fuller to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, where he was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s Disease.
Hirschprung’s is a result of a congenital nerve defect in the colon. The nerve cells that are designed to move digested food through the colon are absent, resulting in an inability to pass stool and blockages in the large intestine.
More than just uncomfortable or embarrassing, Hirschprung’s is a condition that can be fatal if it goes untreated. The treatment required surgery and a stay in the hospital in Indianapolis, all the while Fuller’s mother and grandmother spent their waking hours driving back and forth from Anderson.
“They had to do a blood transfusion that night when we got there,” Jackson recalled. “My mom slept outside, and I slept in the emergency room.
“The next morning, we talked to the doctor and she came up with this. The first thing I asked her was, ‘He plays sports, is he going to be able to that afterwards?’ She said, ‘He should be able to do anything he wants to do.’
“It was so amazing afterwards,” Jackson said. “That was the best thing. I just thank God so much that we took a chance and went down the highway instead of going to the doctor here. It was the scariest thing ever.”
That four-hour surgery resulted in Fuller being fitted for a colostomy bag, which he will likely have to wear for the rest of his life.
But it did little to slow him down. He was ready to eat and get back to sports almost immediately.
“As soon as I got out of the hospital, I went to school the next day,” Fuller said.
If the condition were to improve, Fuller would have the option of reversing the surgery. It is a procedure that was tried unsuccessfully once before, and he is not sure that he is willing to endure the pain that would go with another failure.
“I was going to get it reversed last year, but I got scared and didn’t want to do it,” he said. “I’m just afraid it isn’t going to work again.”
Despite that situation, he still manages to excel in athletics. It is not unheard of for athletes with similar situations to compete at a high level. NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer of the Green Bay Packers played a good deal of his career with a colostomy, as did San Diego Charges kicker Rolf Benirschke and golf legend Babe Zaharias.
After an initial adjustment period, it is now a standard part of life for Fuller.
“I’m glad they were able to do the surgery so I could keep doing stuff,” he said. “I was scared to tell people about it because I didn’t know how they would feel about it. I play basketball and stuff, and we’d play ‘shirts and skins’ and I’d be scared to take my shirt off. Only my teammates and family knew.”
Over time, he has become more comfortable discussing the condition. Rarely has Fuller’s colostomy affected his play.
He recalls an incident during soccer season when the skin around the colostomy became irritated, but he says that was more due to heavy perspiration.
Over time, the family has learned how to prepare for all eventualities, including bringing extra bags. Anderson — who is also Fuller’s cousin — and Jackson say the situation has become so normal, they have to remind themselves of the young man’s condition.
“There would be times where he could take a charge and didn’t, so I would get mad at him,” Anderson said. “I keep forgetting that he has it. As a coach, I have to remind myself that he’s dealing with that condition and he would never use it an excuse.”
“It’s become a part of everyday life,” Jackson added. “It’s the new normal, I love it now.”
For Fuller, dealing with this at such a young age has hardened him and forced him to develop toughness that he can apply to all scenarios in life, including on the basketball court, soccer pitch, or on the track.
Fuller’s family and support system believe he is ready for any adversity he may face in the future.
“We did this together, as a family,” Jackson said.
Continue reading...
“He’s a tough kid, one of the toughest I know,” LC coach Norm Anderson said.
A sprinter on the track team and a high scorer for the soccer team, Fuller brings great speed to the LC offense while handling the ball and scoring when needed.
He is the floor general. The game is his show, and the toughness he brings is second to none.
Fuller has had no choice but to be tough since he began developing intestinal health issues as a child.
Frequently experiencing discomfort and sickness, Fuller was shuttled back and forth to area emergency rooms and doctors in search of answers.
“We would just go to the hospital and they would get all the poop out, a decompaction is what they call it,” said Fuller’s mother, Ikiyshia Jackson. “They would clear him out and he would be fine for a few months, then it would come back. We went three times for decompaction and the last time we went, he could barely walk.”
After not getting permanent answers locally, Jackson took Fuller to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, where he was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s Disease.
Hirschprung’s is a result of a congenital nerve defect in the colon. The nerve cells that are designed to move digested food through the colon are absent, resulting in an inability to pass stool and blockages in the large intestine.
More than just uncomfortable or embarrassing, Hirschprung’s is a condition that can be fatal if it goes untreated. The treatment required surgery and a stay in the hospital in Indianapolis, all the while Fuller’s mother and grandmother spent their waking hours driving back and forth from Anderson.
“They had to do a blood transfusion that night when we got there,” Jackson recalled. “My mom slept outside, and I slept in the emergency room.
“The next morning, we talked to the doctor and she came up with this. The first thing I asked her was, ‘He plays sports, is he going to be able to that afterwards?’ She said, ‘He should be able to do anything he wants to do.’
“It was so amazing afterwards,” Jackson said. “That was the best thing. I just thank God so much that we took a chance and went down the highway instead of going to the doctor here. It was the scariest thing ever.”
That four-hour surgery resulted in Fuller being fitted for a colostomy bag, which he will likely have to wear for the rest of his life.
But it did little to slow him down. He was ready to eat and get back to sports almost immediately.
“As soon as I got out of the hospital, I went to school the next day,” Fuller said.
If the condition were to improve, Fuller would have the option of reversing the surgery. It is a procedure that was tried unsuccessfully once before, and he is not sure that he is willing to endure the pain that would go with another failure.
“I was going to get it reversed last year, but I got scared and didn’t want to do it,” he said. “I’m just afraid it isn’t going to work again.”
Despite that situation, he still manages to excel in athletics. It is not unheard of for athletes with similar situations to compete at a high level. NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer of the Green Bay Packers played a good deal of his career with a colostomy, as did San Diego Charges kicker Rolf Benirschke and golf legend Babe Zaharias.
After an initial adjustment period, it is now a standard part of life for Fuller.
“I’m glad they were able to do the surgery so I could keep doing stuff,” he said. “I was scared to tell people about it because I didn’t know how they would feel about it. I play basketball and stuff, and we’d play ‘shirts and skins’ and I’d be scared to take my shirt off. Only my teammates and family knew.”
Over time, he has become more comfortable discussing the condition. Rarely has Fuller’s colostomy affected his play.
He recalls an incident during soccer season when the skin around the colostomy became irritated, but he says that was more due to heavy perspiration.
Over time, the family has learned how to prepare for all eventualities, including bringing extra bags. Anderson — who is also Fuller’s cousin — and Jackson say the situation has become so normal, they have to remind themselves of the young man’s condition.
“There would be times where he could take a charge and didn’t, so I would get mad at him,” Anderson said. “I keep forgetting that he has it. As a coach, I have to remind myself that he’s dealing with that condition and he would never use it an excuse.”
“It’s become a part of everyday life,” Jackson added. “It’s the new normal, I love it now.”
For Fuller, dealing with this at such a young age has hardened him and forced him to develop toughness that he can apply to all scenarios in life, including on the basketball court, soccer pitch, or on the track.
Fuller’s family and support system believe he is ready for any adversity he may face in the future.
“We did this together, as a family,” Jackson said.
Continue reading...
