Teaming Up for Tyler #TKsArmy

Tyler Kniepkamp, our best friend since childhood and our ride-or-die into adulthood is fighting for his life with stage 4 melanoma of the brain, which has also metastasized to his lungs. We are here to tell his story and ask (beg really) for anything you can do to help him. Our hope is to reduce the mounting financial burden and provide him with the opportunity to enjoy the time he has left with us, not worrying how he is going to pay bills. We want him to enjoy the special moments and have an ability to tackle some of the items on his bucket list.

Before we go into detail about the uphill battle he is up against, we thought it would be helpful to share a little insight into who Tyler is, and what is important to him. He has always been known for his unwavering dedication to his loved ones, his passion for golf and his incredible work ethic. Tyler is a son, a brother, an uncle, and a godfather. Uncle Tyler is a huge hit, not only with his brother and sister’s kids, but also his friend’s kids. They are his smallest, but biggest cheerleaders right now. He has been best friends with the same group since childhood and they refer to themselves as “The Cronies” and the deep bond this group shares is rare. Whenever someone needs help, they rally to do whatever they can to pitch in.

When he isn’t spending time with family and friends, Tyler loves playing with Brutus, his slobbery St. Bernard. I’m not sure who walks who, but they enjoy strolling the neighborhood every morning. He also enjoys doing projects on his house, tending to his immaculate lawn and landscaping that rivals the best golf courses, and rehabbing anything you let him work on. The man can never sit still, Tyler is one of the hardest workers you will ever meet and is always happy to lend a helping hand.

His love for golf has been a constant throughout his life, serving as a source of joy. The serenity of the green, the camaraderie with fellow golfers, and the challenge of the game have always brought him a sense of peace. To this day, if his body is up for the challenge, you can find him on the links.

Tyler’s battle began 3 years ago at a routine dermatology appointment when the doctor noticed a mole on the back on his neck that caused concern. A biopsy revealed that Tyler had Melanoma. Surgery was quickly scheduled, and the cancer was removed. The prognosis was positive, and Tyler went back to living his life. Over the course of the next three years, Tyler went in for routine checkups. During the checkups, only x-rays were done, and only from the neck down. At no point did they provide him scans to proactively monitor new growth. During a checkup earlier this year, Tyler indicated his neck had been itching but the doctor dismissed it as dry skin. We now know the itching is a sign that the cancer was back.

On January 1st Tyler made a commitment to himself, and his life. He stopped drinking and hit the gym, he never once missed a day at the gym as he worked on finding a healthier lifestyle and we watched his relationships with friends and family grow. He lost weight, he was present, and he was happy. There was one last thing that he wanted to change, his job. He wasn’t happy and he was desperate to find something that better aligned with his passions. He took a leap of faith and resigned allowing him the freedom to find a Project Management position with a local developer. Tyler had a lot of opportunity in front of him and his mission to live differently was in full effect. Until June 23rd, 2023. Three years to the day of Tyler’s 1st cancer diagnosis, just before his 38th birthday, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Tyler, who never misses work, started experiencing headaches and even bouts of vision loss. His headaches became so severe he ended up at an Urgent Care, which is where the tumors were identified. He quickly was sent to St. Louis University where he was admitted and underwent brain surgery to get a biopsy of his many tumors, and hopefully remove some of the tumor causing his pain and vision loss. The doctors were only successful in completing the biopsy and were unable to remove the tumors causing him pain. Once discharged, Tyler was moved to Siteman for further scans and most importantly to find HOPE. In addition to the Melanoma that had spread to his brain, his Petscan confirmed a lesion on his lung was also Melanoma. While Tyler is very happy with the Siteman oncology team and his plan of attack, the only certainty he was given, was that he will live with cancer the rest of his life, regardless of treatment.

Tyler has more than 9 tumors on his brain. He has finished brain radiation that comes with many, many side effects. He also just completed his second round of immunotherapy which, as expected, has made him extremely ill. Immunotherapy can cause severe arthritis, which Tyler is experiencing, and his oncology team is already fearing that it may prevent him from continuing immunotherapy treatment. He is deep in the fight and it’s only the beginning. We are desperate to help where we can. With Tyler having just started a new job, he was one week away from his insurance going into effect which left him with no insurance at the time of his diagnosis. He was fortunately able to get on Cobra through his previous employer, but the cost for the coverage with no paycheck has caused him to burn through his savings rapidly. Given what our friend is facing, and how deeply we love him, we are desperate to help. We can’t cure him; God knows we would. But we can help with bills, reduce the things causing him stress, and provide him with opportunities to do things he may not otherwise be able to afford right now.

Together, we can make a difference in Tyler's life. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a significant impact and will be greatly appreciated by Tyler, his family, and his friends. Let us stand by his side, just as he has stood by ours, and show him the strength of our collective support. Join us in supporting Tyler's fight against brain cancer—because together, we can help him find hope, healing, and a brighter future.