Tyler Emmett Sweningson

Tyler Sweningson, 19, of Little Rock, AR, fondly known to many as “Ty-Ty”, passed away being held by his parents and surrounded by care givers and loved ones.

Tyler was born April 20, 2004 in Slidell, Louisiana and died at Arkansas Children's Hospital after a three-week long fight against aspiration, sepsis, and the flu on January 21^st at 4:03am.  Tyler was born profoundly disabled but was a fighter in every sense of the word, never giving up easily.  

Tyler was a shining example of God’s love.  He rarely became upset and always loved to be talked to and treated as normal.  His smile LITERALLY melted hearts, and he connected to people in a way only he could. If you met Tyler, you loved him. He taught all those around him so many lessons in life while fighting through medical issues and living with disabilities that would cripple most.  He overcame so much every day.  Living with cerebral palsy, a massive seizure disorder, being non-verbal, and confined to a wheelchair, he pushed through it all.  He would laugh and smile and shriek to get your attention, and once he had it, he kept it.

Tyler touched lives everywhere he went.  We rejoice as a family that his soul is in heaven with his Creator and that he is WHOLE, without disability.  We rejoice that he is welcomed by Jesus and so many who loved him and our family.

Thank you to the AMAZING PCCA caregivers; Bryant teachers and aides; his rEcess family; Special Olympic volunteers and leaders; his many doctors and nurses, especially the PICU team that cared for him so many times until his final visit; and our Trinity church family.  SO many people loved and cared for our Tyler well and were our literal “Angels on Earth” for Tyler. Thank you!

Survivors include his father Jay Sweningson of Bryant, Arkansas, his mother Chere Viger Stevenson and stepdad Mark D. Stevenson of Biloxi, Mississippi, his sister Rachel Sweningson (Bryant) and half-sister Dara Stevenson (Biloxi), as well as his grandparents Emmett and Nancy Sweningson (Hot Springs) and Peggy Harmon Viger and the late Kenny E. Viger, Jr. (Baton Rouge, LA) as well as numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Tyler’s Celebration of Life will be at 11:00am February 3^rd at Trinity United Methodist Church 1101 N Mississippi Street Little Rock, AR 72207.

For those out of town and unable to make the journey, please know you are invited to join us via Livestream at https://tumclr.org – You can click the link at the top right that says, “Stream our Services”.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider sending memorials to the Trinity United Methodist Church Youth Program, 1101 N. Mississippi St.,LR 72207 or to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital – One Children’s Way, Slot 661, LR 72202.