In a race full of emotions and challenges, Tyler Reddick competed this Sunday with the hope of keeping his championship aspirations alive. The driver’s personal situation, following his wife’s announcement about the diagnosis of a tumor in their son’s chest, which affects his heart, added a layer of complexity to his participation. The little one, born in May, has been dealing with serious health problems, according to his mother. Before the race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway circuit, where Reddick started from the pole position, the couple shared an update on their son’s health. Shane van Gisbergen took the victory in the race, which meant Reddick’s elimination from the playoffs. Reddick finished in tenth position. Alexa Reddick, the pilot’s wife, shared details about her son’s condition on social media. The tumor is affecting the renal vein and artery, which has caused an enlargement of the heart. The little one will need surgery to remove a kidney that is no longer functioning. “She will undergo open surgery to remove her right kidney. We are not sure when,” Alexa wrote. “Waiting is okay at this point to give her heart a break while she is on blood pressure medication. They are hoping her heart will fully recover because it was just an innocent bystander. We have answers but a journey ahead to bring our little Cookie home.” The mother also added that her son was happy, playing and interacting with the medical staff. Reddick had kept his son’s situation private until his wife decided to make it public before last week’s race at Kansas Speedway. In Charlotte, the driver spoke about his son’s health.
“Healthier probably isn’t the right word, but I’ve never seen him happier. His color looks good. He’s gained weight. A lot of things are going well,” Reddick said. “That said, some of the toughest moments are definitely ahead. We’re definitely not out of the woods. There are some things we have to get through first.”
Tyler ReddickAfter the race, the group of drivers was reduced from 12 to eight. Reddick, along with his colleagues Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, and Austin Cindric, were eliminated. Reddick acknowledged the situation, stating that what happened on the track was secondary to his son’s health situation. Denny Hamlin, co-owner of Reddick’s car, highlighted the support of 23XI Racing and its commitment to Reddick’s son’s medical care.“We’ve tried to do everything we can as a company to leverage all the resources we can, to get second, third opinions, everything, put it in contact with specialists,” Hamlin said. “We feel not a relief, but it’s a small relief that they now understand what the path forward is, instead of not knowing.”
Denny HamlinReddick, for his part, thanked for the support received and reflected on the emotional impact on his family. “Countless people have helped,” Reddick said. “Countless people have reached out, provided support, whatever. It’s been really revealing. I agree with my wife, this is the hardest thing I’ve had to go through. Certainly, being out [last week] wasn’t ideal.”
