Dillon Chapman, who is fighting Neurofibromatosis, enjoyed his very special wish being granted courtesy of Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK on Saturday 25th July when he met his hero MotoGP star Dani Pedrosa.
Dillon who is just seven year old and comes from Frome in Somerset, went on an exclusive access-all-areas VIP trip to the Motorcycle Grand Prix at Donington Park, Derbyshire, to meet his motorcycle hero. His dream-come-true day out was arranged by Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK, the leading wishgranting charity that grants magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses.
Dillon is battling Neurofibromatosis, a condition in which nerve tissue grows tumours which can cause serious damage by compressing nerves, tissues and organs.
He loves MotoGP and everything related to motorbikes, his hero is Spanish MotoGP rider Dani Pedrosa. Dillon was particularly taken with Dani as he badly injured his leg in racing crash at the same time Dillon was suffering with his leg due to his condition. He has avidly followed Dani’s racing career ever since and there is little Dillon doesn’t know about Dani. He has a signed print of Dani in his bedroom, knows which tyres Dani likes to use and when, plus he is more familiar with the date of Dani’s birthday than his own mothers. He truly is Dani’s number one fan.
The special day began with a tour of the paddock to watch Dani Pedrosa and some of the other racers taking part in practice. He was then introduced to all the TV broadcasters who he has listened to all his life commentating on the sport. After that Dillon and his family were taken to the inner paddock to have lunch with the Honda Racing team and shown lots more exclusive areas which were a real treat for such an avid MotoGP fan. He even bumped into TV Presenter Suzi Perry who had a good chat to him about MotoGP.
After watching more on track action, it was finally the moment Dillon had been waiting for – his chance to meet his hero Dani Pedrosa. Dillon Chapman and Dani Pedrosa
Dillon asked Dani lots of questions about racing including which tyres he planned on using on race day. He also asked Dani how many girlfriends he had and when Dani replied “one”, he proudly said he had “eleven.” Dani was so impressed by Dillon and his phenomenal motorcycle knowledge that he invited him to meet up again the following day after the Grand Prix which the family happily accepted. Dillon was also given lots of presents from Dani, one of the most impressive being a signed pair of gloves he wore in the 2008 Grand Prix.
The day was completed with the chance to watch the rest of the qualifying session and to return the next day for the actual MotoGP race.
Dillon’s mother, Dawn, said: “I want to say a huge thank you for making Dillon’s wish so magical. He was thrilled to be able to meet Dani, but also meeting everyone else connected with the wish was an added bonus for him too.
“Thank you to Dani Pedrosa from the bottom of our hearts for giving up so much of his time to make Dillon feel so special. We appreciate it far more than words can say. It was a roller coaster of emotions for us as parents knowing how much this meant to Dillon. His passion for MotoGP and bikes is unreal and we are so very proud of him. To see his excitement was just fantastic.”
Dillon’s father, Mark, added: “Dillon has suffered so much in just seven years and keeps on smiling and living his dreams. He never complains and often thinks of other children as far worse off than himself. Thank you so much for making this amazing wish happen and also to Dani Pedrosa for making this a day Dillon will never forget.”
MotoGP Champion Dani Pedrosa, said: “I was really impressed with Dillon. He is a very special boy, the way he was talking to me, his knowledge about motorcycles, the questions he made to me about my bike, tyres and so on, it was just amazing! His parents have to be very proud to have such a smart and lovely son. It was a special time for me to meet Dillon this weekend and I hope to see him again in Silverstone next year.”
Dillon ChapmanMake-A-Wish would like to thank Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), Dani Pedrosa, The Auto Cycle Union (ACU) and PLJ Photos (Northwich) for their invaluable assistance in helping make Dillon’s wish happen.
Make-A-Wish spares no effort to ensure the whole family benefits from the magic of a wish, as it is a treasured time for all the family often facing a huge battle. This year, over 1,000 children like Dillon will turn to the charity for their magical wish to be granted. Make-A-Wish needs to raise over £5 million in 2009 to grant these wishes and can only do so with the generous help of people in the UK. To find out how you can support Make-A-Wish, please visit
www.make-a-wish.org.uk source
http://www.acu.org.uk/News/2009/07/Dillon-meets-MotoGP-Star-Dani-Pedrosa-at-Donington-Park/
Danny Pedrosa