Tom and scleroderma

This blog entry is Tom Tyler related and deals with the rare disease he died from, scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis. One thing that distinguishes Tom's case from other Hollywood figures is that when he was diagnosed as being terminally ill, he did not have a voice for scleroderma, the way most Hollywood figures now do when they are diagnosed with a serious illness. Some advances for scleroderma have been made since 1954 when Tom Tyler died, although there is no cure yet nor a known cause, although it is believed that there are a number of factors that will result in an individual developing scleroderma, one which includes exposure to heavy metals. A recent study done on a connection between exposure to heavy metals and scleroderma which might explain why Tom Tyler developed the disease: a probability of either being exposed to the iron mines at Witherbee, New York as a boy, or when he had an accident on the set while filming “Idaho Red.” This accident led to his exposure of an overturned demijohn of chemicals used for realistic effects. Naturally it would be difficult to figure out the whys of Tom having scleroderma, we can only guess, but the good news is that some progress has been made, as well as developments in publicity in the medical field.

For example, as of 2016, a peer-reviewed academic medical journal dedicated to scleroderma began:

Journal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders (JSRD). The first issue was published during the first third of 2016 and profiled the artist Paul Klee who also had the disease. There is also a Systemic Sclerosis World Congress held since 2010 (the fifth one will be held in 2018; the congress meets once every two years). Scleroderma News has been around since 2013 and contains the latest news of the disease as well as tips for patients for easier living. And there is also the Scleroderma Foundation, Scleroderma Research Foundation, and the World Scleroderma Foundation. So in the past five years some major strides have been made, and by the time a cure is found for this disease, hopefully time travel will be possible too – because Tom Tyler deserves the cure for his illness.