Junior Matthew Tacchino is back with the Fresno Christian Eaglecast and continues to bring the community meaningful conversations with students and staff members in this recurring podcast series. Join us as we dive into the lives and complexity of the familiar personalities on this campus. 

After interviewing multiple staff members on campus, Tacchino thought it was a good time to interview one of his peers. Senior Lyla Hinton has been attending Fresno Christian since kindergarten and has a rich family history in this community. Hinton was born and raised in the valley and has grown up with an ophthalmologist father, Sam Hinton, and an elementary school teacher mother, Dawn Hinton. Both are FCS alumni. 

Early on in Lyla Hinton’s life, her other brother Maxwell was diagnosed with cancer when Lyla was a very young age. His cancer was terminal and he was given a 15% chance to survive with the current treatment he was receiving. This time in her life was full of confusion and fear.

“I didn’t really understand you know, but I remember praying every night that God would heal him,” Hinton said. “After he was healed it definitely instilled a faith in the Lord that many aren’t fortunate enough to have at such a young age.” 

On campus, Lyla has been active in many extracurriculars and sports such as tennis, cheer, worship team, choir  and numerous more community involvements. The Hinton family has been a foundational presence on campus her whole life which added to the impact of yet another devastating cancer diagnosis.

Wesley Hinton, part of the Covid graduating class of 2020, went on to attend Grand Canyon University, when he shockingly began his journey with cancer. Wesley underwent 2 surgeries and 2 aggressive rounds of chemotherapy all throughout college and even took a semester off at home. Lyla found herself once again immersed into the tribulations of cancer. 

“It was really hard,” Lyla said. “But after it was all over, I saw him grow. Looking back on it it made him who he is today because he has pursued a career in medicine. He definitely wouldn’t be who he is now without going through all the hardships he has.”

Both Max and Wesley Hinton continue to live cancer free as they finish their educations at GCU. Wesley will go on to pursue a career in medicine, while Max will graduate with the class of 2026. Lyla is eyeing many local colleges to continue her education. Following high school, she hopes to become a nurse and serve the people of her community. The strength has been an example for so many in the Fresno Christian Community. 

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For more podcasts from The Feather in to FC EagleCast, Episode No.5 – Karen Walters