Tylee Craft Continues to Inspire Amid Battle
UNC football player Tylee Craft has consistently inspired all of those around him in the midst of a battle with lung cancer.
If you don’t know who Tylee Craft is, we’re glad to introduce you. A junior wide receiver at the University of North Carolina, Tylee continues to positively influence everyone around him as he battles lung cancer. It wasn’t what he expected as a four-star prospect coming out of South Carolina, but Tylee has made the most of a difficult situation each step of the way.
In December, Tylee was awarded the Disney Spirit Award, given annually to an inspirational figure in college football on or off the field, including players, coaches, fans, and cheerleaders. Although it wasn’t something he was familiar with, when he researched the award, he was immensely honored. Disney chose to honor Tylee for his inspiring acts in his community amid his own challenges with lung cancer. His enthusiastic attitude stood out amongst all others.
“I always try to be positive,” Tylee said. “A lot of people go through a lot of different things that we don’t know about. Me being positive can maybe influence them to be positive as well. I don’t like to think negative, it’s pointless … as long as I can see people smiling and having fun, that is all that matters.”
A College Football Athlete Inspiring Others | A Conversation with Tylee Craft
Tylee’s story was featured on the Voices for Victory podcast.
Diagnosis and the Role of Lung Cancer Research
Tylee first noticed something was wrong during spring workouts. He experienced back spasms and tightness, initially attributing them to the workouts. After scans, Tylee was diagnosed on March 14, 2022, with stage four large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, a rare form of lung cancer. From that moment, his life changed drastically—he stopped playing football and taking classes to focus on treatment.
Tylee’s journey highlights the importance of ongoing lung cancer research, particularly in treatment breakthroughs that offer hope to those diagnosed with rare and aggressive forms of cancer.
Tylee’s Treatment and Support System
A week after diagnosis, Tylee began his treatment, undergoing aggressive chemotherapy and immunotherapy. His support system, starting with his mother, has been a cornerstone of his battle. She moved to Chapel Hill to care for him, texting him a thumbs-up emoji every morning as a sign of encouragement.
Tylee also praises the medical team at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. He has built a strong connection with his doctors, teammates, coaches, and the community, all of whom have offered constant support.
Even during treatments, Tylee wanted to remain part of the UNC football team. His team recognized his courage, naming the annual spring game after him—the #TyleeStrong Spring Game. In 2023, Tylee has rejoined his team, working to regain football shape. His health remains a priority, but his love for football is one of his biggest motivations.
Lung Cancer Research and Community Involvement
Tylee is passionate about giving back to others in similar situations, regularly visiting patients at the UNC Children’s Hospital. His advocacy also extends to his involvement with the White Ribbon Project, a community-driven effort to raise awareness about lung cancer and other types of cancer.
“I’m a part of the White Ribbon Project,” Tylee said. “Being there and seeing all these other survivors and people who have battled, I know we are all together. We are all a community that tries to bring awareness to everyone. It’s a lot, but it’s nice to know that everyone is looking out for you.”
The Role of Lung Cancer Research in Tylee’s Journey
Tylee has also joined the V Foundation to help raise awareness and funding for lung cancer research. He believes that research is critical to finding cures for diseases like lung cancer, which continues to affect thousands each year. Victory Over Cancer® may be a future goal, but it requires significant investment in research today.
In addition to sharing his story, Tylee has a unique connection to the V Foundation. During his treatment at UNC Lineberger, he crossed paths with Dr. Jared Weiss, a thoracic medical oncologist specializing in lung cancer. Dr. Weiss has a longstanding relationship with the V Foundation, having received a V Scholar Grant supported by the Lung Cancer Initiative of North Carolina through the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Fund. His research focuses on personalized immunotherapy, particularly CAR-T cell therapy, which modifies a patient’s own T cells to target cancer cells.
Pioneering Advancements in Lung Cancer Research
Dr. Weiss’s groundbreaking research in CAR-T cell therapy represents the future of lung cancer research, offering hope for more targeted and effective treatments. This advanced technology helps the immune system identify and attack cancer cells more precisely.
“We need to be batting for home runs repeatedly,” Dr. Weiss said. “We need to be curing cancer. That’s why I think target immunotherapy is so important, it is at least aiming for the fences. That’s what victory is, victory is cure.”
Tylee’s story and his connection to the V Foundation exemplify the crucial role of lung cancer research in offering patients new options for treatment and a sense of hope for the future.
Dr. Weiss is one of many dedicated V-funded researchers that continually pursue breakthroughs to better the lives of cancer patients now and in the future. Learn more about Dr. Weiss’ work below:
Jared Weiss – Recent Advances in Immunotherapy for Small Cell Lung Cancers
- After decades of little to no advancements in lung cancer treatment, research has recently yielded advancements that will soon improve chances of survival
- Through his success with CAR-T cells research funded by the V Foundation, Dr. Weiss and his team were able to secure 4x the amount of funding. They recently got FDA approval and will begin clinical trials to help patients
- In addition to survival increases, there have also been increases in quality-of-life medications that decrease the side effects of chemotherapy for incurable cancers
Racial Disparities in Treating Cancer
- The mistreatment of minority populations extends to medicine, but researchers like Dr. Weiss are aiming to eliminate that and provide consistent quality of care to everyone
- When looking at clinical trial results, one of the first thing Dr. Weiss looks at is the demographics of the participants – underrepresentation by race is common in clinical trials
- Because there can be biologic cancer differences by race, unless we adequately represent everyone in trials we end up with results and advancements that are not applicable for all people
“We need to be batting for home runs repeatedly,” Dr. Weiss said. “We need to be curing cancer. That’s why I think target immunotherapy is so important, it is at least aiming for the fences. That’s what victory is, victory is cure.”
In 2023, the V Foundation is celebrating 30 years of granting funds toward game-changing cancer research. In its existence, the V Foundation has funded nearly 1,200 cancer research grants totaling over $310 million. Today’s cancer research is tomorrow’s victory. Donate today at v.org.
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