Tyler Abercrombie, a 10-year-old fourth-grader from Southside Elementary School, won “grand champion” at the San Benito County fair last weekend for his hog, King Kong, at the Junior Livestock Auction.
Tyler, however, is not your average pre-teen grand champion. Since birth, he has had a rare genetic condition known as WIlliams Syndrome, which affects about 1 in 10,000 births annually in the United States. About 20,000 to 30,000 people are afflicted with it in the U.S., according to the Williams Syndrome Association website.
The defect is a result of the deletion of genes and can lead to cardiovascular and heart problems, in addition to cognitive delays and personality disorders.
Tyler has had 13 procedures in his life, for mostly minor medical issues, and regularly sees a specialist. But he still faces social and cognitive challenges in the community as a result of Williams Syndrome.
“Tyler has always struggled in school,” said Wendy Abercrombie, Tyler’s mother.
He has what is called a “cocktail party” personality as a result of his condition, she said. He has an over-friendly, happy demeanor and chats with everyone he meets. Before that happened, however, he did not talk until he was almost 5 years old.
“By the time the fair ended, he had talked to everybody,” she said.
Tyler is a novice in 4-H. As a part of the market class, his job was taking care of King Kong – a black and white Hampshire hog – and another hog he picked out from RBQ Showpigs in Livermore in June of this year.
Tyler fed his hogs everyday to fatten them up until they hit the 200-pound mark, when he began to exercise them daily to add muscle.
His mother said that 4-H is a good “niche” for him.
“Animals are his thing,” she said. “Kids (in 4-H) are very accepting” of his condition.
In September, he participated in the Santa Cruz County Fair where he won reserve weight class, or second place, for King Kong.
On Saturday, however, 65-pound Tyler proudly showed off the 260-pound Hampshire – and won grand champion.
“He was thrilled,” his mother said. “He got a belt buckle and he was showing it off.”
The community was very supportive of him, Abercrombie said.
“Everyone was clapping and cheering,” she said. “Everyone was happy for him.”
For Abercrombie, Tyler’s win was not the most exciting aspect about the event.
“His father and I – the most exciting thing was to see him do it all himself,” she said.
