When a young man battling terminal bone cancer started checking items off his bucket list, his father and a Ford CEO stepped in with two amazing Mustang experiences.
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Joseph Tegerdine, 18, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in May 2019 after he started having knee tenderness that was originally passed off as growing pains. He went through chemotherapy and a rotatinplasty, according to SWNS, but in 2022, doctors discovered that the cancer had spread to his lungs and hip.
Joseph’s mom, Kerry, told Fox News that her son underwent surgery and chemotherapy to treat the new tumors, but in Feb. of this year, the cancer spread to his lungs once more.
Joseph is currently preparing for radiation treatments. But in the meantime, his family has decided to start “focusing on making memories and doing bucket list items.”
Joseph always dreamed of becoming the proud owner of a Ford Mustang, so his dad, Joe, made it so.
“I’ve just liked Mustangs for as long as I can remember,” Joseph told the Detroit Free Press. “Six-year-old me liked it, the headlights looked cool, and I stuck with it.”
For those wondering why I’d buy my 18yr old son a 330hp Mustang, well, he’s been given months to live and can’t work long enough to buy one himself. His comment on the way home, “ Dad, I’m going to squeeze a few extra months of life just to be able to drive this.” #cancersucks pic.twitter.com/SWNq6bJ4nd
— Joe Tegerdine (@JoeTegerdine) March 3, 2024
Joe showed off the new car in an X post. In the caption, he wrote, “For those wondering why I’d buy my 18yr old son a 330hp Mustang, well, he’s been given months to live and can’t work long enough to buy one himself. His comment on the way home, ‘Dad, I’m going to squeeze a few extra months of life just to be able to drive this.’ #cancersucks.”
Kerry told Fox that Joseph had originally wanted to save up for a Mustang on his own, but he was just as excited to see his dad drive home in one.
“Joseph said, ‘The Mustang is my dream car, and I feel freaking fantastic!’” she shared.
Ford CEO Sees Tweet and Invites Young Cancer Patient to Drive a Mustang Dark Horse on the Track
Joe Tegerdine’s tweet went viral and touched the hearts of tens of thousands—including Ford CEO Jim Farley, who reached out to Joseph’s family and offered to let him drive a Mustang Dark Horse on the race track.
“Hi Joe, I’m so sorry to hear what your family is going through. Please let me know if you and your son would like to attend @FPRacingSchool to experience a @FordMustang Dark Horse on the track,” he wrote in the comments. “DM me and we’ll make it happen.”
Joe responded to Jim and learned that Ford is giving Joseph the VIP treatment. The company is flying the family to the Ford Performance Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and having them stay in a Marriot.
“It’s just really cool, and we’ll stay in Charlotte for a couple of days,” Joe told The Free Press. “There’s a big dinner before school. Then Joseph will be on the track with the (Mustang) Dark Horse.”
According to Fox, Joseph will make his trip in April.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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