With 2x Xfinity Series championships and three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victories, Tyler Riddick is an undisputed rising star. However, recently, his personal life has taken an unexpected detour after the news of his newborn son, Rookie’s heart failure. It was a tense moment for the 29-year-old, and when Tyler was behind the wheel at Kansas Speedway on September 28th, Rookie was fighting for his life at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte. While the situation remains tense for the Reddick family, Tyler’s wife, Alexa, has issued an optimistic clarification.

Tyler, after the Kansas Speedway race, was visibly emotional and even considered skipping the race. But his wife, Alexa, became his motivator and stayed with Rookie. Rookie was then admitted to the cardiovascular intensive care unit immediately, and Alexa called for prayers, penning an emotional note on her Instagram. “Our sweet Rookie was showing signs of heart failure that were being missed. Please, please pray for this sweet guy that God heals his heart,” wrote Alexa. Many even speculated that little Rookie might even need a heart transplant, but Alexa has clarified on that now.

“I’m getting a lot of DM’s asking the same question…No, he doesn’t need a heart or a kidney transplant. His heart is expected to fully recover once the renal mass and kidney are removed,” wrote Alexa on her IG story. She also thanked god and later announced that the family is going to seek a second opinion. “God gave us two kidneys; his kidney levels are normal, which indicates his left kidney has already picked up the slack. Human body is cool,” wrote Alexa. Apart from a heart issue, Rookie is also facing another kidney issue.

Rookie is the second child born to Tyler and Alexa on 25th May, after their 5-year-old firstborn, Beau. The couple didn’t make the birth of his son public immediately, as Tyler was then gearing up for the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville. However, within a month, reportedly from early June, Rookie began to show signs of distress.  Alexa, trusting her “mom gut,” knew something was wrong even after the issue went unnoticed despite several pediatrician visits.

“After a run around for months with the pediatrician’s office, I knew what was going on was something bigger. Always trust your mom’s gut,” said Alexa. Upon further diagnosis, it was revealed that the root cause of the issue was a tumor in Rookie’s chest, which was choking the renal artery and the vein, responsible for carrying the pumped blood from the heart. Because of that, Rookie also had heart enlargement and kidney issues. “It is not believed to be functioning any longer,” wrote Alex about Rookie’s kidney on Instagram. The family is currently battling through Rookie’s health issues and is determined to bring Rookie home from the hospital.

Tyler Reddick opens up on his son, Rookie’s recovery

Time for Tyler Reddick, on the other hand, has been difficult on the track, as he is winless through 32 races. Navigating the challenges on the track and worrying for his kid has surely taken a toll on him, as he opened up on the challenge and kept family first throughout.

“It’s difficult, it’s not what you want for your kids. What my son Rookie is going through is serious. A tricky situation. More than anything, I’m just ready to get on a plane and go home. Thankfully, doing well enough that where me and my wife were on the same page about staying,” said Tyler on September 28th after a weekend at Kansas Speedway. For now, though, according to Tyler, his son’s health is fairly stable, as he thanked people for the support he received during the difficult time.

“Healthier is probably not the right word, but I’ve never seen him happier… [Alexa’s] been locked in… on everything that’s going on,” said Tyler about Rookie ahead of Charlotte.

Currently, on the track, Tyler Riddick is set to enter the NASCAR Cup Series race on October 12th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As for Rookie, he will undergo open surgery to remove the affected kidney and is reportedly under monitor and surgical prep in the CVICU. Rookie’s heart is then expected to fully recover. “They expect his heart to fully recover because it was just an innocent bystander,” announced Alexa.

We hope Rookie comes out strong and overcomes everything as the family can finally welcome their “little cookie home,” as Alexa wrote.