Cancer survivor represents Atlanta hospital in Rose Parade on New Year’s Day
Tyler Blue once sang with his church choir and worked as a consultant for a large payroll company, where communication was central to his role. After surviving stage 4 throat and thyroid cancer and losing his voice box, he now dedicates himself to educating others about his condition.
“It takes a trained ear to hear what I’m saying,” the 63-year-old explained, using an electrolarynx or electronic voice box to speak. The battery-operated device resembles a microphone, which he holds to his neck to generate vibrations that act like vocal cords, producing speech.
Blue represented City of Hope Cancer Center Atlanta in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, on New Year’s Day. He joined four other cancer survivors and a diabetes transplant patient on City of Hope’s float, decorated with more than 12,000 flowers and a centerpiece displaying the word “hope.”
Blue’s health issues began in 2016 as a sore throat that wouldn’t go away. At his godmother’s suggestion, he visited an ear nose and throat doctor, who took a biopsy of his throat for further evaluation and later referred him to an oncologist.
The diagnosis of stage 4 throat cancer came as a shock to Blue, a non-smoker who follows a relatively healthy lifestyle. Over the next year, he endured 25 rounds of radiation before the oncologist ruled him cancer-free.
He was able to speak without pain for a bit, but with a raspy voice, he recalled. Three months later, his symptoms returned and worsened. His throat became so inflamed he couldn’t swallow or eat, requiring a feeding tube.
He needed emergency surgery, a tracheotomy, to insert a hole in his neck into his trachea, or windpipe, so he could breathe. When he was released from the hospital after a week, he contacted City of Hope Atlanta for its specialized cancer care.
A surgical oncologist there determined the cancer had returned and spread to his thyroid so the only way to prevent it from spreading further was a total laryngectomy, which took place in early 2018, Blue recounted.
“For the first time in almost two years, I felt no pain.”
In 2023 though, he began having complications with his throat, including difficulty swallowing, he said. Two reconstructive surgeries helped alleviate residual issues related to surgeries performed before he came to City of Hope Atlanta and eliminated the need for the feeding tube.
“He came to me with a complaint of not being able to eat and also a lot of deformity from [those] previous surgeries,” said Dr. Beomjune Kim, a City of Hope Atlanta head and neck oncology surgeon who performed the reconstructive surgeries.
City of Hope doctors will continue to monitor his health through yearly checkups to ensure the cancer doesn’t return.
Nearly seven years after his laryngectomy, Blue continues to inspire others by sharing his journey — especially through one-on-one consultations with City of Hope Atlanta patients as they learn to use an electrolarynx for the first time after surgery. He also helped establish the cancer center’s new Total Laryngectomy Support Group, a monthly gathering that brings patients together to connect, exchange advice, and navigate everyday life with confidence.
“He’s consistently positive,” said Suzanne Barrett, spokesperson for City of Hope Atlanta. “He’s very uplifting and he’s very willing to share his experiences to help others.
“He’s overcome a lot of obstacles to get where he is today and he’s very resilient and he’s inspiring. He has a big personality, and he’s fun to talk to. Given those characteristics, he made the perfect survivor for us to feature as part of our City of Hope Rose Parade float.”
Blue said he was honored to represent City of Hope and bring awareness to throat cancer.
“You always hear about breast cancer or colon cancer or pancreatic cancer, but you never really hear anything about throat cancer and survivors and their stories. One reason why I was selected is for awareness that we are here.”
He said he continues to advocate for greater understanding of people who use an electrolarynx to communicate, which he believes is not widely accepted. Still, he said that lack of acceptance does not deter him.
“I will speak on the phone. I will speak in public. I will speak in restaurants. Wherever I go, I will speak using my device.”
Roni Robbins has been a journalist for nearly four decades. This is her second stint as a freelance reporter for the AJC. She also freelances for Medscape, where she was an editor. Her writing has appeared in WebMD, HuffPost, Forbes, the New York Daily News, BioPharma Dive, MNN, Adweek, Healthline and others. She’s also the author of the award-winning novel, “Hands of Gold: One Man’s Quest to Find the Silver Lining in Misfortune.”
