MOTORSPORT fan Bradley Wright could not express his elation during his maiden ride in a monster truck.
The 12-year-old Bli Bli resident was born with a rare heart disease that could eventually kill him and a form of Asperger syndrome that severely limits his ability to communicate.
He can speak to his mother Tania, but she did not have to exchange a word to know what her son was thinking as he got out of the Outback Thunda monster truck.
“I haven’t seen him that happy since Christmas,” Mrs Wright said.
“You can just see from the smile on his face that he is having the time of his life.”
Outback Thunda’s Sunshine Coast-based owner Clive Featherby has teamed with Gold Coast charity Child’s Vision to deliver monster truck rides to children with serious and life-threatening illnesses.
“We’ve done lots of different charities for years but this is the perfect match for us,” Mr Featherby said.
Child’s Vision promotions manager Grant Hudson said the organisation sought kids like Bradley who had always wanted to ride in monster trucks and delivers the opportunity.
“These guys have their lives cut in half or by a quarter,” he said.
“They spend a lot of that time in absolute hell, so if you get to put them in heaven even for a second then that is a great thing.”
Mr Hudson said the experience could help children recover, but in Bradley’s case that was not an option.
He was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which affects his heart’s ability to pump blood and has cut his life expectancy.
His family has lived every day of the past 12 years knowing it could be his last.
“He’s our miracle. Seeing him happy is just amazing,” Mrs Hudson said.