In Memory of Liam Lyon

William Elijah Lyon (Liam)
2/18/2011-9/3/2012

We just received the sad news that Liam Lyon is no longer with us.  We received the message from the family tonight just before 8:00pm CST.

Liam, was born with half of a heart 18 months ago, and he spent most of his life in several hospitals.  The condition is known as hypoplastic left heart syndrome.  It is a rare congenital condition where the left side of the heart doesn't develop properly.  Although Liam was born 5 weeks early, he was the perfect size weighing 6 lbs and measuring 19 inches long.  

At six months old Liam underwent a heart transplant that gave him the best chance for survival, but a series of complications occurred following his transplant.  He showed several signs of recovery and was even released once in March of this year, but he unfortunately was rushed back to the hospital only a few days later to be intubated.  

We were introduced to the family in June with hopes to help him get transferred to Texas Children's Hospital from Tulsa St. Francis. Unfortunately, the transfer never came through for him, but there was one doctor in Cincinnati that was willing to give the "Lyon Heart" one more chance just recently.  Sadly, the transfer came too late, and Liam's body was already in the process of breaking down.

Liam's story had been followed by thousands of people and having more Facebook friends than most people would meet in a full lifetime.  His story helped all of us become aware of his condition and other congenital anomalies.  He was a fighter, he touched all of us, and we are all better for knowing him. 

Liam's story will be one of the stories highlighted in the Shawn's Ironman 365 USA Challenge in 2013 and one of the Ironman competitions will be in his memory.  We are all saddened to hear of Liam's passing, but we know that his name and story will continue on!

For those who would like to contribute to Liam's funeral expenses go to the following link:

http://liamlyon.chipin.com/liam-lyon

Update from Liam Lyon's Family:

Many of you are searching for a way to help our family through donation for (Liam's) Celebration of Live Services.  There is an account established for Liam at:

Simmons First National Bank In Ft. Smith, AR where donations can be accepted.  This can be done by a direct donation to any Simmons Bank in Arkansas to the William Elijah Lyon acct.

For wire transfer the routing number is: 082900432

Direct checks can be sent to Paul Tankersley (Liam's Great Grandfather):

23443 Shoup Rd

Cameron, OK 74932

Donations can also be made via PayPal: iloveliamlyon@yahoo.com
Please mark the Pay Pal donation as a personal gift

Thank you,

The Family of Liam Lyon

Update 9/8/2012:

Please remember that the Liam Lyon Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be broadcast live via www.shawnsanomaly.org on Sunday, September 9th, 2012.  To watch click on the Liam Lyon Memorial Celebration of Life Memorial Service Tab.  In the meantime we have recently added a tribute video for your viewing.

Update 10/10/2012:  Liam Lyon's legacy and story will be continued to be told through Matthew Murphy's challenge complete every Ironman in the US in 2013.  Matthew has dedicated the Ironman Texas on May 18th to tell Liam's story.  To support this effort go to www.indiegogo.com/im265usa1