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Tag: cancer

  • NASCAR, IndyCar Communities Team Up For #CooperStrong

    NASCAR, IndyCar Communities Team Up For #CooperStrong

    What started as a text message from JD Motorsports team owner Johnny Davis to team employee Alex Tauras has now become a hero card drive extending across the motorsports world, centered around an eight-year-old fan with a terminal illness.

    Cooper, a young race fan from Oklahoma, is currently battling Stage 3 Anaplastic Ependymoma, which is a tumor that forms when cells in the central nervous system (including the brain and spinal cord) begin to multiply rapidly. An ependymoma is anaplastic if the cells grow very quickly and are significantly unusual in shape.

    Cooper had let it be known that he’d like some hero cards of some race car drivers, and Tauras, who runs the JD Motorsports social media pages, spread the word through the team’s social media accounts including the team’s official Reddit account, where he then posted to the r/NASCAR community. From there, the drive took off as several fans began sending in not only hero cards, both signed and unsigned, but diecasts and T-shirts as well.

    “I figured that if Cooper liked racing and just wanted hero cards, I’m sure other people would join in and send us some of their duplicates,” said Tauras. “Little did I know, that would quickly blow up. From the time I created the post, even till now, I’m getting messages from NASCAR fans all over the United States asking what they can send him. To be honest, I really had no real intention on doing something like this, but it’s funny how God puts you in places and situations.”

    “As of right now, I think we’re somewhere in the high 30s for diecasts of all sizes, maybe a few hundred hero cards, and one guy is sending us about 1,200 trading cards along with a variety of stuff.”

    One r/NASCAR community member, user /u/GarageguyEve, cross-posted the drive over to the Reddit INDYCAR community, r/INDYCAR, where several fans from that community have also teamed together to send young Cooper some more racing swag. Among those from the community Andretti Autosport, who saw the post on the INDYCAR Reddit, has been in contact with JD Motorsports to help send more to Cooper.

    Texas Motor Speedway and some members from Hendrick Motorsports are also reaching out and sending packages to Cooper, but the icing on the cake may happen on November 7, as Cooper has been invited to be a guest of JD Motorsports for the November race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

    JD Motorsports issued a thank you to the fans through their Reddit account, stating that the drive was “not only a testament to what the NASCAR/Motorsports community is capable of, but it’s a testament to the kindness, compassion, and resolve that our community has.”

    According to Tauras, room is running out with the number of items they are receiving for the drive, so the team plans to send the items out this week so it can arrive early enough and fall into place accordingly as Cooper is currently recovering at home.

     

  • Hot 20 – Unless Kyle sputters or someone new wins, not much drama to be expected at Michigan

    Hot 20 – Unless Kyle sputters or someone new wins, not much drama to be expected at Michigan

    There are only two things to watch for in Michigan on Sunday. One is the ride of Kyle Busch and the other is the car that crosses the line first.

    If Kyle does well and at least stays in the Top Thirty in points, nothing changes. Aric Almirola and Kasey Kahne would not mind if we have such a change, as it would put them back in the mix on points. However, the way Mr. Busch has been running, I would not hold my breath, if I were them. If no one currently outside the Chase wins, then nothing changes. It will be up to those pretenders to become contenders at Michigan, Bristol, Darlington, or Richmond.

    Meanwhile, this week we said goodbye to Buddy Baker. The 74-year old legend, a winner of the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, and the World 600 twice, passed away on Monday.

    This week also marked the 60th anniversary of my parents, Ron and Mae Thornton. Wednesday was a day of love, laughter, and family memories…just as it should be.

    Cancer is what took Buddy Baker from us. That same disease will take my mother, sooner than later. As a fan of NASCAR history and as a son, love, laughter, and memories are becoming more cherished than ever before.

    Here is a look at the Hot 20 as they run this Sunday at Michigan.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (747 Points)
    Denny said he was sorry. Jimmie replied with something possibly describing an unnatural act.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS (361 Points)
    Back where he belongs.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (823 Points)
    Turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, damn…damn.

    4. JOEY LOGANO – 2 WINS (781 Points)
    Fresh tires and some fuel made all the difference last week.

    5. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (750 Points)
    Like most others at the Glen, they were left wondering, “Where in hell was that last caution?”

    6. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (703 Points)
    Five straight Top Tens makes Kenseth more than just a pretty face.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (659 Points)
    You can never have too much help…except in the pits…or so says NASCAR.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (719 Points)
    Figures if you liked the Brickyard, you might love Michigan. Sadly, few did and few will.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (714 Points)
    On a Rocky Mountain high after locking in his berth into the Chase.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (631 Points)
    Last week, he drove with the hood up. This week he will try to drive blindfolded.

    11. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (589 Points)
    Under former rules, he would be just a pretender…but not under these rules.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 635 POINTS
    No wins…and in the end last week…no fluids.

    13. PAUL MENARD – 622 POINTS
    Ten up on Bowyer, 60 ahead of Almirola, vulnerable as hell if the wrong driver wins Sunday.

    14. JEFF GORDON – 620 POINTS
    Ditto.

    15. RYAN NEWMAN – 613 POINTS
    Did you read the comments for Menard and Gordon?

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 612 POINTS
    Sitting pretty, as long as no one beyond this point comes up with a win.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 562 POINTS
    Watkins Glen hurt, but it meant only the difference between 50 or “just” 40 points out.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 561 POINTS
    One of two active drivers not currently in the Chase who has won at Michigan. That was in 2006.

    19. GREG BIFFLE – 532 POINTS
    The other driver is this guy, a Michigan winner in 2004-05 and in 2012-13 (summer/spring).

    20. KYLE LARSON – 517 POINTS
    To do list: Win one of the next four races.

  • NASCAR Community Embraces Five Year Old Cancer Survivor Ricky Mock

    NASCAR Community Embraces Five Year Old Cancer Survivor Ricky Mock

    In many ways, Ricky is like any other young boy.

    “He loves anything to do with racing,” his mother, Sue, told me. “He’ll spend hours racing his toys and playing out different scenarios. The only video games he’ll play are racing ones.”

    Ricky also loves “Sponge Bob,’ watching cartoons and animals.

    “He’s just a precocious, fun-loving kid,” Sue says. “He wakes up in the morning happy and even with all he’s been through; he’s kept his zest for life.”

    In April of 2011, Ricky began complaining that his leg hurt and would often sit and cry because of the pain.

    They were eventually referred to an orthopedist for tests. After seeing the results, he set up an appointment for them at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. The family met with Dr. Walter Virkus, an orthopedic trauma and oncology surgeon.

    He performed a bone biopsy and Ricky was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in December. It’s a malignant cancer that usually affects children and adolescents. The cancer had metastasized to the liver and an aggressive treatment plan was formed.

    The regimen began with six cycles of chemotherapy administered over 18 weeks.  In March of 2012, Ricky underwent liver resection surgery.

    His Mom spoke of how the treatment took its toll on the young boy.

    “He was hospitalized about every 10 days for either a fever or from the chemo from January 4th – May 5th,” she said.

    The hardest part was yet to come.

    The chemotherapy had shrunk the cancer but because his entire right femur was involved, the femur would have to be removed to save Ricky’s life.

    Ricky’s parents were presented with two options; a full amputation at the hip or a lesser known procedure called a rotationplasty which would allow the surgeon to reconnect the tibia (lower part of the leg) to the hip bone.

    Sue explains their decision to go with a version of the rotationplasty surgery as “three weeks of discussion, research, tears, and questions.”

    Before Sue and her husband Dave delivered the news to their son, they took him on a family vacation.

    “We chose to go to Florida and see Winter, the star of the movie ‘Dolphin Tale,’ at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.”

    His parents contacted the aquarium ahead of time and arranged a special visit. They hoped that the meeting would help when it came time to explain the upcoming surgery to their son.

    Winter is not your typical dolphin. She was rescued after being caught in a crab trap line and was sent to the aquarium to begin her recovery. As a result of the accident, Winter lost her entire tail and two vertebrae.

    Few dolphins survive such an experience but Winter beat the odds.  Her resilience inspired her rescuers to come up with a procedure to fit her with a prosthetic tail. The rehabilitation process is ongoing but Winter had adapted amazingly well to the device.

    The people at the aquarium were “phenomenal”, according to Sue. They allowed Ricky and his parents to meet with the trainer and get a firsthand look as he attached the prosthetic tail to the dolphin.

    At this time, Ricky did not know about his surgery but his parents soon discovered that the trip had made a lasting impression on Ricky.

    When the family arrived back home, Sue and Dave sat down with Ricky to talk about the upcoming operation. They had also picked up a book about the dolphin, Winter, to help them break the news.

    Sue describes the heartbreaking conversation, saying “We tried to explain to our precious little boy that he was going to have surgery to have the sickness removed from his body. We told him he would be like Winter and would have to learn to wear a fake leg just like Winter.”

    They weren’t sure if he truly understood what was going to happen until they went to meet with the surgeon.

    The surgeon told Ricky that he wanted to talk to him about his surgery. But to everyone’s surprise, Ricky interrupted the surgeon and began telling him what was going to happen.

    “He showed the surgeon the book about Winter,” Sue said, “and went to a page in the book where it showed a picture of an amputee with the dolphin.”

    Ricky had the surgery on May 21, 2012 and the procedure went smoothly. His recovery was difficult because he was in a cast from the middle of his chest to his knees. This left him immobilized for about six weeks and finding ways to entertain their son proved challenging.

    His parents improvised by setting up makeshift race tracks on his bed but it just wasn’t the same. Ricky found a new outlet in video games.

    In late July Ricky began getting fitted for his prosthetic leg and going to physical therapy at Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago, Illinois to learn how to use the prosthetic leg.

    Word soon spread about this courageous young boy who loves racing and the NASCAR community responded. He has received cards, pictures and autographs from people all around the country.

    “We have been so incredibly overwhelmed by everyone’s support and it never ceases to amazes us,” Sue said.

    To learn more about Ricky please visit his “Team Ricky” Facebook page at the link below.

    http://www.facebook.com/groups/TeamRicky

    Special thanks to Don Betke, Chrissy Pistone, Santus Gore, Gerry Wright, Shelley Cochran,  James Cochran and LJ Cochran for their efforts in bringing Ricky’s story to the attention of the NASCAR community. There are so many others who have selflessly come forward to support Ricky and his family in countless ways. It’s impossible to list each person by name but your spirit of giving is truly appreciated.