DOUGLAS, Ga. (WALB) - A South Georgia family is mourning the loss of their 16-year-old son after a long battle with bone cancer.

Tyler Harper died Saturday evening at 6:45 p.m. after fighting Stage 4 osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive type of bone cancer.

How the diagnosis began

Tyler’s health battle began when he started experiencing severe pain in his leg. At first, doctors did not find anything wrong, and he was sent home with a boot and crutches. But just one week later, Tyler fell while walking through his home and was taken back to the hospital.

That’s when tests revealed a tumor eating through his bone.

In June 2023, doctors confirmed the diagnosis: Stage 4 osteosarcoma.

Years of treatment and family support

Since then, Tyler endured multiple surgeries, treatments, and complications as he fought the disease with the support of his family and community. At one point, his family believed he had beaten the cancer.

“Three years ago he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. He had surgeries and we thought he had about beat it,” said Tyler’s mother, Christine Stone. “Matter of fact, he made a post right when we got to the hospital. This time he said ‘everybody pray for me.’ He said, ‘I guess I got a little too cocky.’ And I told him he didn’t get cocky — he just knew how good God was.”

Stone shared the news of Tyler’s passing on social media Saturday night.

“My baby went to be with the Lord at 6:45 today. I’m so lost. I don’t know where to begin to do any of this,” Stone wrote.

In another post, she described the difficulty of returning home after losing her son.

“I thought coming home wouldn’t be this hard, but everything reminds me of my baby,” she wrote. “Why is life so unfair? How can God give you someone so beautiful and perfect and take them so young?”

Family asks for community help with funeral costs

Tyler’s parents say they are asking for help from the community as they work to lay their son to rest.

The family says they were not prepared for the sudden loss and currently do not have the funds needed for funeral expenses, transportation, or a burial plot. Tyler’s mother says she hopes to bury him near her parents if donations can help make that possible.

The community that supported Tyler throughout his cancer fight is now rallying around the Harper family as they grieve. Those who would like to donate to the family can do so here.

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