Our Namesake
Tyber Lustig
October 9, 1991 – December 12, 2021
Tyber Joseph Lustig was born October 9, 1991, to the parents of Jay and Sherry Lustig, at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. He came into this world three weeks premature and left us at the age of 30, (60 years premature). He was raised in Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania. He grew up in what most people would conclude was a privileged lifestyle. He experienced life in a manner most people can only dream of. Tyber was an outgoing, overly talkative individual even at a very early age. His outgoing and talkative nature only got louder with age. Besides being a gifted athlete, he took great pleasure in making people smile and laugh. It would be difficult to find someone who did not enjoy his presence.
However, while to everyone it seemed that Tyber had all the confidence in the world, on the inside he struggled with a host of self-doubts that plague many people throughout the world. Am I smart enough? What will I do to make a living? How do I get this person to like me? Why do I get sad? Tyber was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He would constantly be unable to slow down his thoughts. Sadly, as far too many young adults choose to do, Tyber unfortunately chose to cope with these emotional pains by numbing the pain by self-medicating. Despite having a loving family to help him in his efforts to find internal happiness, Tyber continued to be his own worst enemy.
On his last Thanksgiving, shortly before his passing, Tyber was very excited about his career path. In addition to helping with his family’s real estate business, Tyber was planning to open up his own barber shop upon his upcoming graduation from barber school. However, he continued to struggle with self-doubts and was depressed over the status of his relationship with his girlfriend. On December 12, 2021, he took a pill that he thought would just calm him down. Unfortunately, that pill was laced with fentanyl. His father found him later that night on the floor of his apartment with his dog Deja by his side, her leash in his hand, and an uneaten sandwich on the counter. His last Google search was, “How to stop overthinking?”
While Tyber’s family was unable to save him, The Tyber Lustig Foundation was established in the hopes it will help many others cope with the challenges of growing up.
