What an inspiration
.
Bravest little battler Tyler set for first day at school
Sunday Herald Sun | Shannon Deery | January 27, 2008
HIS smile says it all. Tyler Fishlock can't wait for his next challenge -- starting school.
Tyler touched the hearts of Victorians when his battle against a rare eye cancer was revealed. It cost him the sight of both eyes. Now, with almost 45,000 other five-year-olds, the little dynamo is set for his prep year at a mainstream school.
No back-to-school blues for Tyler -- simply unbridled joy.
As the youngster packed and unpacked his schoolbag, he beamed: "I'm a big boy now."
He said he could not wait to sample the canteen's gingerbread men, meet new friends and play with cars and trucks -- a favourite pastime.
But Tyler's not setting off with just a backpack and lunch -- he needs a full-time personal aide, different teaching methods and textbooks and work sheets translated into braille.
The mother of the brave boy, who had both eyes removed during his battle with retinoblastoma, said she was praying he would be all right. And Georgette Fishlock told of the difficulty of deciding to send Tyler to a mainstream school.
"We want him to be able to live as normal a life as possible. I hope this is the first step towards doing that," she said.
"But I'm very apprehensive. I am excited, but for (father) Brad and I, the nerves are about whether we're doing the right thing sending him to a mainstream school. "The biggest concern is will he be accepted by the school and students and whether or not he will accept them."
Mrs Fishlock admitted waving goodbye at the school gates would be the hardest part.
"I don't think I'll get a wave back and that will be hard," she said. "I've prepared him and explained I won't be there all day."
Tyler could not understand what the fuss was about.
"Mum, I'll miss you, but I'll see you after school," he said.
It's that optimism that reassured Mrs Fishlock about her decision. "He is my inspiration and he will inspire me to get through the first day," she said. "He has such a positive outlook on life. His disability doesn't even bother him."
Tyler has been going to school with guide dogs, familiarising himself with the school's surrounds and doing homework on his braille computer.
Mrs Fishlock once feared the day would not come.
"This is a huge milestone for Tyler and I couldn't be more proud of him,"she said.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23113898-661,00.html