Tyler

Tyler Kahle was just 19 when he died Oct. 7, 2002, of an undetected rupture inside his chest, a tearing of the aorta called thoracic aortic dissection. At the time, Tyler’s care providers believed he was too young for this to occur. What Nebraska Methodist Health System learned from Tyler’s death, including what other health care institutions can do to prevent a similar tragedy, is the subject of the video “Aortic Dissection at Any Age: The Tyler Kahle Story.” (Watch the video below.)

The video, produced by Nebraska Methodist Health System in cooperation with Tyler’s family, is designed to raise public awareness about familial aortic disease and educate medical professionals. Through the video, Methodist shares lessons learned from Tyler’s death — lessons that are saving lives.

Family photo albums show Tyler as a boy in constant motion, a young man in love with life. Always a daredevil, Tyler grew up cannon-balling off high dives, shimmying up trees and testing the limits of his considerable athletic abilities with rollerblading and other X Game-style sports. At 19, Tyler was a college freshman contemplating a career in computer science or Web design. His future seemed bright. Focusing on cherished memories of her son, Debra Kahle McMillan explains, “We learned so much from Tyler. He believed there was always time for fun, and we have learned not to take even five minutes for granted.”

Tyler’s sudden death, following treatment for what was believed to be a respiratory problem, stunned and devastated his family. Confirmation that aortic dissection was the cause of death only intensified the family’s anguish. Four years earlier, Tyler’s father, Terry Kahle of Atlanta, had suffered a similar dissection and survived the difficult surgical repair. Tyler might have been saved if his condition had been recognized.

Knowledge gained from Tyler’s death helped save the life of his brother, Marcus. Just days after Tyler’s funeral, 22-year-old Marcus experienced chest pain. At first, the admitting hospital in Atlanta was reluctant to do an imaging study to rule out aortic dissection, assuming he was too young to be at risk. The family insisted, emphasizing the family history and recent tragedy. Imaging identified an aneurysm, and Marcus underwent a successful repair of his aorta before dissection occurred.

“After losing a child to this and very nearly losing another, we want to see an end to it,” Deb explains. She remains a strong patient advocate, extending Tyler’s legacy by working with Nebraska Methodist Health System and the TAD Coalition to advance systemic change in the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection.

[Learn about Familial Aortic Aneurysm]