May 30, 2025
Local Community Rallies Around Brave Young Boy Sawyer Carroll Battling Brain Cancer
By Kyle Coppola
Local Community Rallies Around Brave Young Boy Sawyer Carroll Battling Brain Cancer
The Fruitland Park community and surrounding towns continue to pour out love, prayers, and support for one of their own, Sawyer Carroll, an inspiring young boy who has spent the past three years courageously battling multiple brain tumors.
Sawyer’s journey has been marked by strength and bravery. Since his diagnosis, he has undergone numerous surgeries aimed at removing the tumors, each time bouncing back with a warrior’s spirit that has inspired many in the area.
(Father Miles Carroll right with Sawyer Carroll left after his most recent brain surgery.)
In a recent update posted to Instagram by his father, Miles Carroll, Sawyer is seen smiling just days after brain surgery. A video that Miles took shows him taking assisted steps down a hospital hallway at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, supported by dedicated nurses by his side.
“I know I’ve said it before, but this guy is tough,” Miles wrote in the caption. “Surgery is done. Now speech and physical therapy time. Today he took his first steps into the hallways assisted. Speech is getting way better. I love him with all my heart and know he won’t back down.”
That phrase—“He won’t back down”—has become more than just a saying for the Carroll family. It’s a mantra, a theme song, and a source of motivation. As devoted fans of the University of Florida Gators, the family finds special meaning in the moment when fans inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium join together to sing Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” between the third and fourth quarters. For Sawyer, that song has become the anthem of his fight, not just against illness, but in support of every child facing similar battles across the country.
(Sawyer enjoys outdoor activities with his father Miles.)
Sawyer’s strength has captured the hearts of many in the area and his journey is a reminder of the power of community, love and support. Though the road ahead still holds challenges, he continues to meet each one head-on, and does it with a bright smile.
As Sawyer continues his recovery and therapy, the community is asking everyone to keep him and the Carroll family in your thoughts and prayers. If you’d like to share words of encouragement, feel free to leave a message of support below.
Sawyer, your fight inspires us all! Keep fighting!
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
