Tyler Kuder, 14, is looking forward to beginning ninth grade this year at Salisbury HS. He plays baseball for the Salisbury Youth Association, and will try out for the school team. He enjoys camping with his family in their camper, playing basketball and whiffle ball with younger brother Tanner, 11, video games and reading. Tyler is also active in his church youth group at Wesley United Methodist Church, Bethlehem.

Though it sounds as if Tyler has a typical teenage life, he’s been through a lot.

When Tyler was in fifth grade, he was on a family outing at Christmastime to Lights in the Parkway in Allentown’s Lehigh Parkway with parents Dave and Jen and brother Tanner. A woman crossed the line on Susquehanna Street, resulting in her car hitting the back door where Tyler was sitting.

Tyler was in trauma. The accident resulted in him having scars up and down his face. Tyler underwent multiple surgeries to help remove the glass from his face and help him recover quickly in about two months.

In February of this year, Tyler began seeing Dr. Andrew Krakowski, a dermatologist affiliated with St. Luke’s University Health Network who specializes in pediatric dermatology and oversees the dermatology residency program at St. Luke’s.

Krakowski is using Lumenis Burns lasers to help remove Tyler’s facial scars. This innovative technology has helped remove the redness in his scar and smooth it down.

Lumenis Burns is global leader of minimally invasive clinical solutions and innovative energy-based technologies for burn survivors to treat different degrees of scars. This technology has helped Tyler with his scars and subsequently boost his confidence after being in a terrible accident.

“Tyler’s a wonderful young man who had something not-so-wonderful happen to him. It is my privilege to be part of the St. Luke’s team that’s helping him through his very personal process of recovery,” said Krakowski.

“Our knowledge and technology for treating scars continues to accelerate on a near-daily basis, and our ability to “rehabilitate” scars – in the same way we approach other injuries – continues to improve.”

“At the center of the St. Luke’s Scar Treatment and Rehabilitation (S.T.A.R.) program has always been the Lumenis Ultrapulse laser. With its special ScaarFX software, we can really start to work our way through even some of the toughest of scars,” Krakowski said.

“The best part is that patients like Tyler can well-tolerate the procedure, recover quickly, and get on with their lives, focusing on what the future has in store instead of what may have happened in the past. For me and the St. Luke’s Dermatology team, that’s what the S.T.A.R. program is all about.”

Jen Kuder explained Dr. Michael Morrissey, also affiliated with St. Luke’s, performed the last surgery to remove the glass piece in Tyler’s check two years ago and referred them to Dr. Krakowski.

“Morrissey suggested waiting a year to see how everything healed before starting treatment with Krakowski,” she said. Then COVID-19 hit, so the treatment with Krakowski didn’t begin until this winter. Tyler receives the treatments at St. Luke’s Anderson Campus, Easton.

So far, Tyler has had five treatments, the last one in June. Another treatment is planned for September. Jen Kuder said Dr. Krakowski suggested waiting until September so Tyler wouldn’t have to miss baseball, swimming, camping and other outdoor activities this summer, because sunscreen can’t be used directly after treatment.

Tyler must stay indoors for seven days after a treatment, and then wear sunscreen outside.

Tyler said the treatments have “taken some of the redness away. I have a bump and scar between my lip and chin, and the treatments smoothed it down.”

“I don’t feel people point it out or notice as much the scar on my cheek. I look in the mirror and barely see it. It’s a lot less noticeable to people,” Tyler said.

Tyler likes math and enjoys doing math problems. He passed the Algebra I Keystone Exam and will take Algebra II in ninth grade.

“I want to go to college and be a statistical analyst for baseball or football,” Tyler said.

Sounds like it’s all adds up to a bright future ahead for Tyler.