A little about me
Kia ora / Hello! My name is Tyler Valentino Grace Krueger, and I am a 24 year old man living in Auckland/Tamaki Makaurau. I grew up in Nelson to the age of 17, then moved to Auckland to study fashion design, leading to later designing Global award winning footwear and work for Stolen Girlfriends Club. I am now in pursuit of learning to swim competitively to try compete in the Paralympics and learning how to produce music, while working at Stolen, and focusing on recovering from treatment.
How did your sarcoma journey begin?
The first signs came in December 2023, when I started to notice a pain in my left shin, thinking it was muscle pain related to buying new footwear. But after 3 months of growing pain and severe swelling, I went to my GP to be referred to physiotherapy, only to find my left fibula had already been broken by the tumour. I was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in April 2024, started my treatment in May 2024, and finished treatment in December 2024, and have spent every minute since chasing life with probably too much ferocity.
What was the experience of being diagnosed like for you?
It made me practice a lot of radical acceptance, because fighting the flow of good and bad news made me realise that trying to fight things and blame someone or something just never helped anything. But to those who have experienced it, or going through it currently, trust that every day is a good day.
What kind of treatment have you had so far, and how have you been finding it?
I had 6 cycles in total and a left fibula resection, that took an approximate 9 months to complete. I also had to have a pleurodesis, to fight a pneumothorax in my right lung, as this air bubble in my chest would preventing me from having treatment. I have spent all of 2025 learning how to walk again, and finding my way back to normal life personally and socially. It has definitely been rough I won’t deny that. But getting back to a life that is new yet familiar feels so healing. I know I will never be the same, so finding beauty in the new me and new life I have can actually be really exciting. I will say that I love my friends and family more, and they love me so deeply I can tell. And I know that no matter what happens, there is a huge team of people here to take care of me. You can always trust there is a whole team of people who care looking out for you.
Who or what has helped support you during this time?
The best support I’ve had came from listening to the world around me. Wether it’s to music or listening to people who care, or even traffic! Try to look for the right moments to be fully present, life is still a gift after all. Although some days are undeniably bad, the good days are worth fighting for.
What have been some of the biggest challenges for you?
I would say it can be very hard to look at life the same after this experience. I have been really pushing myself to accept and to learn to live with my new abilities, and discovering new ways to be excellent that don’t rely on my physical capabilities or appearances. Your personality is never just defined by your physical capabilities.
Is there anything you wish others knew about living with sarcoma?
If you can, when you can, enjoy the right now. Worrying about the future is very easy to do, so finding joy in the current moments will make this whole journey a little easier. You can also trust that there is going to be rough days, to which i would recommend listening to your impulsive wants – you want to order in? Retail therapy? Treat yourself. There is no doubt that you deserve it when you can.
What do you want your story to say?
Gosh, I guess a mixture of all of the above. I want people to not relate cancer instantly with the negative. There is a weird reality where you can live with and alongside having cancer. And to focus on the absolute best moments when they come. I truly believe every day can be and is a good day, because in reality, sometimes you just need it to be.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the Sarcoma Foundation community?
Time is the biggest healer of them all, if you can remain patient, and listen to your body and the people around you working to make this easy, it makes the entire experience a lot easier.
That and you can never say I love you too much. Never be shy with showing it, and saying it will never cost you anything.