RACINE COUNTY, Wis. — An extravagant Halloween display in Racine County is the hard work of 10-year-old Tyler Christian.
“I’m just trying to have fun scaring people. I’ve always wanted to do this myself,” Christian smiled.
The home at 6925 Cliffside Dr., Cliffside Haunters, opened on October 30 and 31. Christian’s family invited the public to walk through a maze of spooky decorations and animatronics while raising money.
He did it for a personal cause.
He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of six. Growing up, he had to inject insulin into himself three times a day.
“You’re watching a kid have to stick a needle in him three times a day. You never really get used to it. If he doesn’t get insulin, he doesn’t survive,” Kyle Christian, his dad, said.
Now, Tyler uses a pump that gets replaced every three days.
It’s his own journey that inspired him to make a difference in the lives of others living with diabetes.
A 2022 report from the Wisconsin Department of Health estimates over 1,500 kids in Wisconsin have type 1 diabetes. It’s a condition where the pancreas makes little or no insulin.
Tyler’s mom says the money donated at the haunt will go to the Junior Diabetes Research Fund(JBRF).
This is the first time Tyler has created the display. He saved up and collected decorations for a month, even traveling as far as New Jersey to get some.
Monday night, many driving by stopped to check out the interactive display complete with lights and music.
“I came out here to support diabetic children. My younger brother, he’s six and he’s type one diabetic,” Neola Anderson, a passerby, said.
There is a link to a Venmo on the Cliffside Haunters Facebook page where they are collecting donations.
Tyler said he hopes to make the display even bigger next year.
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