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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 4, 2005 Six-year-old Tanner Mitchell takes time out from watching the kart trials in White City Saturday to pose with racing buddies Jimmy Burton, left, and Randy Nunes. Tanner, who is battling cancer, will receive a brand new kart to lift his spirits � and a tr Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Hometown Hero: Racing for a cure By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune Tanner Mitchell is like any other 6-year-old boy rasslin’ and racin’ through his day — except he is fighting cancer. Tanner’s friends and fans are showing how much they appreciate his fighting spirit by surprising him with a new "psycho green" racing kart and a trip to Los Angeles to visit his 7-foot, 326-pound wrestling hero Kane. The Eagle Point boy was diagnosed with Stage 4 neuroblastoma cancer on his fifth birthday, Dec. 31, 2003. The aggressive childhood cancer affects about 1 in 100,000 children. Last year, Tanner endured three major surgeries, chemotherapy, four bone marrow aspirations, an auto stem cell transplant and radiation. Advertisement Finally, at the end of the treatments, Tanner and his family got good news — the cancer was in remission. Tanner started kindergarten in Eagle Point last September and life was getting back to normal. Then a few weeks ago, a second check-up showed a recurrence of the deadly disease. His parents, Nicolle and Ray Mitchell, have discussed treatment options with Tanner’s doctors. "He’s going to have chemo on an outpatient basis," she said. Tanner’s favorite things to do are racing karts at local tracks and watching professional wrestling. He was even learning a few take-down maneuvers of his own before his world changed. "He loves wresting," said his mother. "He’s crazy about it." Sometime this week, Tanner will be given the kart of his dreams, an Outlaw Sprint Cage Kart — courtesy of several racing Good Samaritans in Southern Oregon and Northern California, including local kart-lover Randy Nunes of Napa Auto Parts. "We just wanted to do something for Tanner. Something he would like," said Nunes. Originally approached to put a new powdercoat on Tanner’s old kart, Nunes says he ended up replacing the "outdated" kart with a brand new, $3,000 model. The state-of-the-art kart should help bring Tanner’s spirits up — and his lap times down. "He wants to race with his older brother," said Nunes. On Sunday, Tanner, his parents and his two siblings were scheduled to fly to Los Angeles to attend Monday Night "RAW," a no-holds-barred wrestlefest put on by World Wrestling Entertainment in Los Angeles. The trip is a gift from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America."Tanner is a little wrestler. He’s a neat kid — very inspiring," said Julie Jaeger, a Rogue Valley coordinator for Make-A-Wish Foundation who interviewed Tanner. "Tanner was watching wrestling all the time. All the time," she said, laughing. As soon as the family gets back, Tanner will start his medical treatment. And on April 29, Tanner will enter his first kart race, said his mom. How you can help: Eagle Rock Elementary School will hold a spaghetti feed fund-raiser for Tanner Mitchell from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 22 at the school. All proceeds will go to the Mitchell family. Suggested donation is $5 for adults and $3 for children. For more information or to volunteer, contact Cindy Leonardo at 826-5921. For more information about Tanner Mitchell, see " target="_blank">www.racingfortanner.com . Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Cheap Website Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations High End Computers Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s