Thursday, May 3, 2018

Dr. Tyler Sexton to Speak at Spring Commencement Ceremony

Dr. Tyler Sexton, chair of pediatrics, wound care and hyperbaric machine at Singing River Hospital System in Pascagoula, Miss., will address USA graduates during the ceremony on May 5 at 9:30 a.m. at the USA Mitchell Center.

Dr. Sexton completed his residency training with USA Health in 2010 and now serves not only as a pediatrician, but also as a lifelong patient as he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy during early childhood.

At age 4, his mother was told he would never walk, talk or even see, and that he needed to be placed in a special school because, at the time, public schools didn’t have resources for his special needs. However, Sexton took and passed his test to receive his driver’s license. He went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Sint Eusatatius in Barbados and also pursued his passion for scuba diving — climbing the ranks of recreational scuba diving to turn that passion into his career as a hyperbaric physician.

Sexton is known for mentoring children with disabilities and working with numerous special interest groups to educate them about hyperbaric medicine and its medicinal effects in many clinical applications. He uses his knowledge to treat individuals suffering from decompression illness and other illnesses where hyperbaric clinical applications can make a difference in lives. He has volunteered his knowledge for treatment of people in the United States. He also holds numerous certifications in wound care and hyperbaric healing and is active in many professional medical organizations.

He has been the subject of interviews or stories by ABC-TV’s “20/20,” “The 700 Club,” “The God Squad,” “Hour of Power,” “The Helpline,” and “Focus on the Family.”

Sexton and his mother, Lisa Sexton, are the authors of “God Bless Those Little Legs,” which tells his personal story as well as outlining his belief system and philosophy for overcoming adversity.

Degree candidates in the morning include students in the USA College of Medicine, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education and Professional Studies, School of Computing, and Graduate School.

The Mitchell Center will be open to the public at 8 a.m. for the morning ceremony. Following that ceremony, the building will close to the public, then re-open at noon for the afternoon ceremony.

Parking signs will be posted throughout campus, and shuttle service will be available for guests who park in these areas. The shuttle service will run from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Pick-up and drop-off points for the shuttles will be in the following parking lots: University Commons, Gamma Dorm, Humanities Building, Whiddon Administration Building, Jaguar Drive (past the HKS East Entrance and Old Shell Road) and the Computer Services Center.