Home

Steamboat Springs — Tyler Johnson's family is getting major help from a couple of superstars.

Country singer Garth Brooks and former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann donated items to be auctioned off at a fundraiser Saturday. The money will help pay the 10-year-old's medical bills.

Tyler lost his feet and parts of some fingers from an illness earlier this summer. His mother, Shara Johnson, said she doesn't know how much the family will owe.

Tyler was flown to Denver in June and spent five weeks in the hospital, undergoing several surgeries. Doctors think the illness was a form of meningococcal septicemia, but they have been unable to confirm the diagnosis.

Insurance will cover some of the costs, Shara Johnson said, but prosthetic feet will cost at least $10,000. Insurance pays for only 10 percent of that. The bill for Tyler's first week at the hospital was $441,000 before insurance contributions, she said.

Brooks heard about Tyler's situation from Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner, Thaine Mahanna said. Gardner, a wrestler, helps with Yampa Valley Wrestling, and Mahanna sits on the club's board. Tyler wrestled with the group before his illness.

Brooks is sending a plaque commemorating a milestone for sales of one of his records. Mahanna hadn't received the plaque as of Thursday afternoon, so he didn't know which record it was or how many sales it represented.

"What I figured is, he'd give us an autographed hat or a boot or something like that," Mahanna said. "It really floored me that he'd want to contribute something that's really personal. I think it sends a pretty clear message that they were really touched by the story."

Brooks has won two Grammys and has had dozens of top-10 hits in a career that spans more than two decades.

"He's not in a position where he can do this sort of thing anymore," Mahanna said. "The demand is really high."

The plaque will be sold during a silent auction at the Steamboat Springs Community Center. It is not autographed, Mahanna said. He plans to send the slice of memorabilia back to Brooks so he can personalize it for the buyer.

Mahanna asked Theismann, whom he met at an event in January, for help with the fundraiser. Theismann played for two Super Bowl teams, one of which took home the trophy. The 12-year NFL player sent autographed photos and an autographed ball for the auction - and threw in a ball and a photo for Tyler.

'Extreme thanks'

Saturday's event will include much more than the signed schwag from the stars. Organizers Kathie Zelek and Eva Dworakowski have lined up donated food and more than 70 items for the silent auction. They include outdoor activity packages, restaurant gift certificates, toys and Broncos and Avalanche tickets, Zelek said.

"We've got over $20,000 worth of stuff," she said. "It's cool. : Everybody's really generous."

Two bands will perform, and "Star Wars" characters - Tyler's favorite - will mingle with the crowd, Zelek said.

The Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurse Association will provide free meningococcal vaccinations to youths ages 11 to 18.

Donations will be accepted, and Vectra Bank also has funds set up for the Johnsons' expenses.

Shara Johnson said the family would attend as much of the event as possible. Community groups including Yampa Valley Wrestling and 4-H already have donated thousands to the cause.

"I don't think he has quite grasped the magnitude of the entire town stepping forward to help," Johnson said of her son, who has several more hospital visits lined up and often is in pain. "Even I myself have not been able to quite grasp that. It's been, not overwhelming in a bad sense, but definitely overwhelming. I definitely don't feel worthy of half of this attention. I don't know how to explain it."

She said she wanted to offer her "extreme thanks" to the community.

"I hope I can be there to help others someday," Shara Johnson said.