This is the article posted in March 2016, when 20/20 Racing Academy’s Ike De Jager helped the Make-A-Wish Foundation grant a young man his wish of learning how to ride a dirt bike:
The wet weather Sunday did not stop one family from learning a new sport thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Virginia. 12-year-old Walker Rexrode spent Sunday afternoon riding dirt bikes at the CowBranch Motocross Park in Edgecombe County.
Walker’s mom, Sara Rexrode, says she and her two boys all have a condition called neurofibromatosis type 2. She says it’s a condition where tumors grow internally on nerve endings. Rexrode made the four-hour drive from Stanton, Virginia with her sons, so they could be trained by Motorcycle Safety Foundation Instructor, Ike Dejager.
He said, “It’s hard to actually use all the controls on the bike and how to balance on the bike, how to do the cornering and stuff like that. There’s a lot involved.” Even though it’s a little complicated to learn, Rexrode says she’s thankful for an opportunity to break up their frequent doctor’s appointments. “Just to see him be able to get on it and just go, and not have to worry about anything, even if it’s just for five minutes,” Rexrode explained. “Five minutes he doesn’t have to worry about anything. He can be a kid.”
She says both her sons are stable but there is no cure for their condition. Many sponsors helped to donate accessories for Walker’s dirt bike and funded a year-long membership at the park for the 12-year-old. Walker isn’t the only one who’s had a wish granted. His brother, Levi, got a chance to meet the cast of “Duck Dynasty” in Louisiana last week.