Cory Tiller Fund

Cory's Story

Friday Night Practice 

This past Friday night was like any normal Friday night on the court during practice. The boys were running drills and all of the sudden Cory slowed down and collapsed on the floor. At first nobody really knew what was going on, but everyone rushed over to aid in this scary situation. With several rounds of chest compressions and the use of an AED, the coaches were able to help Cory regain a pulse. He was rushed to Riley where everyone acted quickly and immediately transferred him to the ICU. After multiple tests, scans, and ultrasounds the doctors determined that Cory has a genetic condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

About the Condition 

The heart is a muscle that pumps oxygen-rich blood around the body by contracting and relaxing a heartbeat. In Cory, the walls of the heart became thicker and hardened. This excessive thickening can cause the heart to become stiffer and leaves less room for blood to fill the heart. A heart affected by HCM has to work harder and has difficulty pumping blood to the rest of the body. So, when Cory heartrate accelerates during exercise, his heart basically can't keep up with the amount of oxygenated blood his body needs to continue this much stimulation.

A Kid With A Passion for Sports

Cory is a fourteen-year-old eighth grader who attends Greenwood Middle School. Cory has two brothers whom he loves very much. He is the middle child in his family. Their story is unique, in that, they are being raised by their grandfather, aunts, and uncles. Cory is brave and compassionate. He loves his family fiercely and would do anything for any of them. He looks up to his papaw and his uncles when it comes to sports and enjoys Sundays when he can sit with the family and watch all the important games.

Cory is very competitive in fantasy football, video games, and involved in the athletic program at school. He played Little League growing up until he aged out of it. He has been on the Greenwood Middle School basketball team all three years of middle school. This year was his first year playing football for the school, and he had so much fun. He played his heart out just like all of his teammates. Cory loves being a part of these teams because of his love for sports and because of the tight knit family culture found in these young people, the coaches, and their parents.

The Road to Recovery

Cory will be in the hospital for a little while longer while they monitor proper brain function from his fall and from the amount of time that he was unconscious. Cory is not sedated or on the ventilator anymore after a little over twenty-four hours of needing this support. He will now need to be on beta blockers to keep his heart at a lower rate consistently to allow his blood to pump with more ease. There is a possibility for a defibrillator to be placed to shock his heart back into rhythm if and when something like this happens again. It is too soon to tell what the future holds for Cory. He is still very confused and a little angry that he is in the hospital. Circumstances keep changing daily, but we are giving all glory to God for the progress so far. He has been and we believe that He will continue to be in the details.

Psalm 121:1 "I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the Maker of heaven and earth.

We appreciate all the love, support, and prayers thus far. Keep the prayers coming. They ARE working. Cory is very lucky to be alive and we are abundantly grateful for the fast actions of the coaches and men who stepped in that evening and literally saved Cory's life.

*All funds raised on this page will go directly to Cory's family to help with medical expenses and emergency financial needs the family faces at this time.  The Greenwood Education Foundation is simply a conduit for safe collection and administrator of funds.