KZN Midlands family seeks public help with daughter’s rare medical battle

A KwaZulu-Natal Midlands family has renewed its call for public support as 14-year-old Tyler Jade Moran continues to face a long, complex, and costly medical journey linked to an extraordinarily rare genetic condition.

Tyler, who turned 14 on January 25, was born one month premature, weighing just 1.75 kilograms. Almost immediately after birth, she was diagnosed with a Disorder of Sex Development (DSD), a condition in which a child’s chromosomes, hormones, or reproductive anatomy develop differently from typical male or female patterns.

In August 2024, advanced FISH chromosome testing revealed a further, life-altering diagnosis. Tyler was found to have three different sets of chromosomes running through her body, a combination of Jacob’s syndrome and Turner syndrome. According to her medical team, this combination may be the first recorded case of its kind in South Africa, and possibly the world.

“These investigations brought clarity, but also the sobering reality that Tyler’s medical journey is far longer, more complex, and far more costly than we initially understood,” her family said.

The conditions carry serious health risks, including hormonal imbalance, growth failure, metabolic complications, and potential cardiac and kidney problems.

Over the past four months, funds raised through a previous BackaBuddy campaign enabled Tyler to attend critical appointments with her surgeon and endocrinologist, undergo extensive blood tests and X-rays, and remain on essential daily medication.

The year ahead, however, brings new and urgent challenges.

Doctors have confirmed that Tyler must begin human growth hormone therapy for the next two years, treatment considered essential to promote normal height growth, strengthen bones and muscles, and support organ and skeletal development. The growth hormone alone costs approximately R10,000 per month, excluding other medication.

Tyler is also managing multiple daily treatments, including insulin, hormone therapy, cholesterol medication, iron supplements, and nightly use of a CPAP machine.

More recently, doctors detected an irregular heartbeat, a known complication of Turner syndrome. In March, Tyler is scheduled to undergo a heart echocardiogram and ECG to assess her heart valves and structure. She will also undergo a kidney ultrasound to evaluate potential structural abnormalities that could affect blood pressure and long-term health.

Surgical care remains another major component of her journey. In March, Tyler will undergo an MRI followed by an investigative theatre procedure at Parklands Hospital, requiring a two-night stay. The procedure will assess previous surgical work and internal structures and help doctors plan the next major reconstructive surgery.

“A clearer timeline for this life-changing surgery will only be known after her March procedure,” the family said.

Despite the uncertainty, the family said Tyler continues to face each step with resilience. In a personal message shared as part of the renewed appeal, she addressed supporters directly:

“I need your help to raise some more money for surgeries this year and a heart echo for March, as well as some new medical stuff like human growth hormones. I'm really grateful for your help that you've been providing us these past few years, and I'm just really, really grateful for the support, and I love you all.”

Her parents describe the emotional toll as “heavy and constant,” but they say Tyler continues to show “quiet strength, resilience, and grace far beyond her years.”

“If you are able to support us again whether by donating or simply sharing Tyler’s story, you are helping us give her the healthiest, most dignified future possible,” the family said.

The BackaBuddy campaign can be found here: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/tylers-uncharted-journey

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