Hartland Youth Baseball/Softball Raises Money For Player With Rare Disease

It was a nice, easy swing that connected with the machine-pitched baseball that landed 8-year-old Dominic Tyner of Hartland on first base. A normal accomplishment for many kids his age playing their favorite game, for young Dominic, however, the hit could be one of his last.

“He loves baseball,” said Laurie Tobin of Brighton who is Dominic’s grandmother. “And the doctors said they should just cut that right out, because he shouldn’t do any sports.”

Little Dominic, also called Lil D, who was once a happy and healthy baby, started showing symptoms of a severe problem three years ago. After countless doctor visits and a long list of tests later, his parents, Danya and Dominic Sr., learned their young son has eosinophilic esophagitis, a rare autoimmune disease that affects the white blood cells causing his body to attack itself. Food has now become an enemy for little Dominic, who becomes easily fatigued and for a reason still unexplained needs to use braces on his feet.

“It’s extremely scary,” Danya Tyner said of little Dominc’s disease that sometimes causes his esophagus to clamp up. “We have no idea what triggers it. It could be an airborne allergen. We have no idea and that’s the scariest thing about it.”

A community steps up

When news of little Dominic’s condition started to spread throughout the Hartland baseball community, Hartland Area Youth Athletic Association officials decided to dedicate this season to Dominic and take up a collection for the Tyner family. With a presentation scheduled to take place noon Saturday at Spranger Field in Hartland, the Tyner family is amazed at the support and caring that they have received.

“It’s just so weird that in a little amount of time, so many people have, random people, are calling me and asking me how to help,” Tyner said. “Stuff like that, I’m like oh my gosh, our little video, really? It’s unbelievable. Strangers who want to see what my son goes through, I don’t know. It’s been awesome.”

The fundrasier is thanks in part to family friend Laura DeLanoy who sent out a YouTube video, the family made to help bring awareness to their son's disease. DeLanoy explained that originally she had wanted the HAYAA fundraiser to be kept as a surprise for the family, but quickly realized after the response she received that that was going to be impossible.

"I thought it was just so great that they all came together for something so greater than just themselves," DeLanoy said. "In a small community such as Hartland, people do stuff like this all the time. We remember that there's other people."

Difficult symptoms

Little Dominic also suffers from hypotonia, a severe state of muscle weakness. He now becomes easily winded after only a few minutes of physical activity, a frustrating fact for his mom who knows how much her son loves sports. Deep purpling around his eyes is the biggest indicator, Tyner says, of when her son may be experiencing an oncoming episode of E.E., which is extremely painful and seems to overtake his frail body making it difficult for him to breathe.

“He was turning purple and his face just had this terrible look and he was scrouched down and he said, ‘Don’t talk to me, don’t talk to me,’" Tyner said describing one of her son’s recent episodes during a family get-together. "He could barely talk. … After, I was wreck, Dominic was a wreck, everyone was staring at us and he (little Dominic) looked bad, he just looked terrible and he was so lethargic."

On the field during a recent game, however, little Dominic, rounds third base with a smile on his face after a long hit from one of his teammates and sprints for home as crowds of parents and family members cheer him on. Stepping on home plate, little Dominic scored a run for his team as shouts and high-fives came from his Dad and coach, a typical father-son moment made all the more special since the family doesn't know if their son will ever play baseball again.

“We have noticed since the last time he’s played, which was two years ago, that he’s lost a lot of strength,” Tobin said.

'Faith' helps family overcome challenges

But the Tyner family, which also includes 6-year-old twin sisters, Nina and Nadia, are no strangers to health problems and overcoming obstacles. The husband and wife team, both Hartland High School alumni, met while working at Pizza Hut in Brighton 15 years ago and have already been faced with having Dominic senior diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

“This isn’t my first ride on the rodeo,” Tyner said. “My husband has had MS for five years now so I’ve kind of gotten used to having a sick husband and it was devastating at one time, but my husband was so positive and he went in a positive direction after getting MS.”

After being told he would have to give up his career as a carpenter, the couple gave each other one day to feel sorry for themselves and then came up with a plan that included Dominic senior going back to school for computer training.

“He could be one of those people that went on social security and felt sorry for himself but he looked at this disease as, 'I’m not my disease,'” Tyner said. “And that’s what we’re trying to teach (little) Dominic. We don’t let him have that attitude like, feel sorry for me. He’s not his disease.”

Tyner and her husband credit their faith and a well-developed sense of humor in helping their family cope with lives that seem to revolve around weekly hosital visits, a very strict diet for little Dominic and the pressures of living with two stressful illnesses in the family.

"Without our faith, we would be nothing," Tyner said.

Lil D's big family

Community participation is just part of the package of HAYAA base/softball, according to board president Mark Ehgotz. With 600 families involved in the program, the presentation on Saturday will be about "more than just money," says Ehgotz. It will also be about little Dominic's love of the game and the well-wishes and support the families of HAYAA want to show.

"It's about making Dominic feel like he's part of a big family," Ehgotz said. "That's what we do. We help each other out." 

And little Dominic’s reaction to the whole community response seems to be a normal one for any 8-year-old boy.

“He thinks he’s famous in a small town,” Tyner said.

At that moment, however, sitting alone on the bench resting after his big run, little Dominic is just a normal kid, getting a normal hug from his proud mom.

For more information on Dominic Tyner and eosinophilic esophagitis, check out the YouTube video attached. To donate to the family or for fundraising opportunities, go to the Knights of Columbus website at http://www.liltyner.com.