On November 29, Adam and his family embarked on a journey to Amherst, Ohio from their hometown in College Corner, near Cincinnati. The shy, reserved 16-year-old, who is battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma, saw his magical wish come true when KTM North America and the Make-A-Wish Foundation^® of Greater Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana granted his wish to have his very own KTM 125 cc dirt bike. KTM employees rallied around Adam’s wish and customized the bike for him, added a special outfit, boots, riding gear and many other KTM accessories.

Before being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that affects the lymph nodes, Adam was an active teen who enjoyed hanging out with friends, playing video games and riding dirt bikes. “While I was doing chemo and radiation, it seemed that I had lost most of my freedom….I did not feel great and was not able to do all of the things that my friends were doing. I really like to ride dirt bikes…,” wrote Adam.

“To see his face when the bike was started up you could tell Adam was on cloud nine,” Adam's mom said. “You can tell by the look on his face, the expression in his eyes and the fact he rides the bike everyday, that this was just awesome for him.”

Adam and his family were also treated to some time at the track, a tour of KTM regional headquarters and a pizza party to celebrate his wish come true!

“It was heartwarming to see how much time and effort the KTM team put into making Adam’s wish so special,” remarked Executive Director Kelly Kleinschmidt. “When we contacted the company, they were very enthusiastic about donating the bike and much, much more. Their generosity during these difficult times says so much about KTM as a company, their desire to give back to the community, and to just see a young man smile again.”

“We here at KTM are both honored and humbled to be a small part of helping to make Adam’s wish come true,” remarked Darin Gillis, the vice president of finance and treasurer for KTM. “After hearing Adam's story and the passion he had for riding, it was probably one of the easiest things we've ever done and we're happy to be a part of it. It's not about KTM, it's about Adam and wanting to do something good for him and help him have some fun.”

Cincinnati-based X-treme Adventures Dirt Bike Skool donated a bike training and safety course to complete Adam’s wish.

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