Rude racing to recovery

By Lauren Radomski (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Thursday, July 31, 2008

When 9-year-old Dawson Rude travels to Kansas City with his family in late September, he won’t hold back when it comes to telling his favorite NASCAR driver what’s on his mind.

Rude, a fan of racing in all its forms, has already been practicing, his mother says.

“He sits and yells at pit crews on TV,” said Tesa Rude. “It’s just a hoot to watch.”

Rude’s upcoming trip to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is made possible in part by the family of another person with a passion for engines. Joe Sampson, 26, died in early May after a two-year battle with cancer. Whereas the annual “Dough for Joe” motorcycle run once raised money for Sampson’s care, the proceeds from this year’s event — held in Elizabeth last weekend — now benefit another family touched by cancer: the Rudes.

Dawson Rude developed lymphoma in his stomach at age 2 after the anti-rejection medicine he took following a kidney transplant weakened his immune system. Rude beat the cancer after months of chemotherapy, but needed a new kidney. His family spent roughly a year living out of the Twin Cities as Rude completed dialysis at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. He underwent a successful kidney transplant in April 2006.

The virus that caused the cancer is still in Rude’s system, his mother said, and Rude must take medication daily and complete regular IV treatments to keep tumors at bay. The trip to Kansas City is one of the ways Rude’s parents make every minute with their son count.

“We’ll take Dawson wherever he wants to go for as long as we can,” Tesa Rude said.

Joe Sampson’s mother, Julie Johnson, and step-father, Stan, connected with the Rudes only a few weeks ago. As Stan Johnson explained, the newly-renamed “Dough for Joe Remembrance Run” is designed to raise money for a local family.

“We wanted to give it to a family that had a child,” he said, because he and Julie had shared a similar experience. Like the Rudes, the Johnsons spent significant time at a Ronald McDonald House while their son was in treatment.

The Johnsons learned of the Rudes through Relay for Life, in which Dawson served as this year’s youth honorary chair. The Rudes were at the Silver Dollar Saturday for the annual motorcycle run, with Dawson directing 170-plus bikers on their way.

“He was there to start the bikes,” Stan Johnson said. “He dropped the green flag.”

Organizers collected donations in a pail throughout the day, resulting in a $3,000 check presented to the Rudes on Tuesday. Contributions from the Silver Dollar, Park Rapids Auto Center, Westridge Dental, CI Sport in Fargo, and Coldwell Banker Klack and Dennis Real Estate all supported Saturday’s run.

As members of the two families met on Tuesday, Rude described her son’s love of cars, fighting spirit and tendency to speak his mind.

“Gee,” said Julie Johnson from across the room, “that sounds just like Joe.”