KALEB'S STORY
“Events like Rides to Remember give kids like Kaleb the chance to just be kids. It means everything.”
– Yinka, Kaleb’s mother
Kaleb’s Story: Grace on the Long Road
Kaleb is one of the many incredible kids whose lives have been touched by the work of Rides to Remember. His journey is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do – and why your support matters. This past spring, we sat down with Kaleb and his mother, Yinka, to learn more about the road they’ve traveled, the moments that have shaped them, and how events like Track Day have brought light into even the most difficult chapters.
Kaleb is the middle child in a big, blended family overflowing with love. When Track Day rolls around, his whole crew – siblings, step-siblings, and a niece – shows up to cheer him on.
This year, he’s got his eye on a ride in an AMG, and if anyone’s earned it, it’s Kaleb. His road here has been anything but easy.
Kaleb was just seven years old when doctors discovered a rare and aggressive cancer, Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor (DSRCT), growing not in his bones, where it’s typically found, but on his kidney. Surgery to remove the kidney came first, followed by eighteen months of chemotherapy and radiation, treatments that would challenge even the strongest adults. His mom, Yinka, remembered it simply: “It was very aggressive.”
They were just beginning to taper off post-treatment checkups and it seemed the worst was behind them, when 2016 brought devastating news. The cancer returned this time bringing both acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Kaleb underwent a bone marrow transplant, which brought its own heartbreaking battle: chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), meaning his body began rejecting the very cells that were meant to heal him.
“Honestly, that was almost just as scary and rough as the cancer treatment,” Yinka reflected.
Living with the Ongoing Battle
The reality is, even more than a decade later, the hospital visits haven’t slowed down. His family often hears things like, “You still go to the doctor that much?” or “He still misses school?” but the truth is, this kind of fight doesn’t have a finish line. It becomes a way of life.
GVHD isn’t something you cure; you work to manage it day by day. Kaleb still sees multiple specialists. He attends physical therapy twice a week to help with complications like scoliosis and chronic back pain, conditions that actually began before his cancer diagnosis.
“That was one of the telltale signs,” Yinka said. “He’s been having issues with his back ever since.”
And yet through all of this – years of procedures, isolation, and fatigue – Kaleb has shown a courage and grace that leaves all who know him in awe.
Finding Light in the Darkness
Cancer took a lot from Kaleb – carefree childhood days, time with friends, the normalcy of school – but it also opened doors to some extraordinary moments.
For one, he met Tom Holland (yes, Spider-Man), in what became a special memory that also, somehow, made its way to YouTube. Multiple surprised friends and family called up Kaleb to share that, by total coincidence, they had seen him alongside the superhero online.
And of course, Kaleb has been embraced by the communities at Camp Sunshine, CURE Childhood Cancer, and Atlanta Ronald McDonald House: the three organizations that Rides to Remember is proud to support through every ticket sold.
They offered more than just respite from hospital rooms; they provided hope, rest, and gentle reminders that joy could still find them, even in the darkest times.
Why Rides Matters
Long before COVID, immune suppression meant Kaleb lived in isolation. “People don’t get it,” Yinka said. “Of course; how could you?” Unless it was an event like Rides to Remember, Kaleb rarely got to meet other kids who understood.
This is what makes Rides to Remember so precious.
It’s not just about the cars (though Kaleb is a true car enthusiast). It’s about inclusion. It’s about letting kids be kids. It’s about creating memories that have nothing to do with hospital gowns or check-ins.
Kaleb and his family have come to Rides every year since they were introduced to the event. And each time, they’re reminded what a community looks like, where no one asks for diagnoses, last names, or paperwork. Only: are you ready to ride?
“Rides gives kids like Kaleb the chance to be around other children who understand,” Yinka said. “Who just get it.”
A Story of Extraordinary Grace
Kaleb’s story could overwhelm you with the weight of the sheer unfairness of childhood cancer, but that’s not the complete story.
This is also a story about a boy who looks at unimaginable challenges and somehow finds gratitude. It’s about a family that transforms hospital stays into adventures and discovers joy in the quiet moments between treatments. It’s about communities that surround struggling families and remind them, again and again, that they are not alone.
This September, when engines roar to life on the track, we ride for Kaleb, and for every child still fighting and finding reasons to smile. We ride for families who know that joy doesn’t wait for “someday when this is all over” – it exists right now, in whatever moments we can create together.
Be Part of the Joy at Track Day 2025
Let’s ride for Kaleb, and for every child still fighting for more beautiful days.
Saturday, September 27, 2025
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Atlanta Motorsports Park | 20 Duck Thurmond Rd., Dawsonville, GA