“It’s Like a Fever Dream”: Alexa Reddick Fights Back Tears Recalling Son Rookie’s Health Struggles

Last year, away from the track, Tyler Redick was dealing with a storm at home, one that would shake any parent. His and Alexa Reddick’s son, Rookie, was admitted to the hospital with heart trouble that had slipped under the radar, and although a successful surgery removed immediate danger, the wounds remain fresh.

When the season wrapped, Reddick revealed that the child had undergone surgery to remove a tumor near his right kidney, the source of both high blood pressure and heart failure. His wife, Alexa Reddick, revisited that phase during her recent appearance on Samantha Busch’s Certified Oversharer podcast, laying bare the road they had to walk.

She spoke of the moment when instinct clashed with reassurance, when the pediatrician brushed aside her concern. But when Rookie’s condition took a turn, the family rushed to the hospital, and the truth came to light. “I remember I said to the doctor, ‘I said so I’m not crazy.’ And she’s like you’re not crazy and it’s a very good thing you brought him in here today.

“And from there it was just like a fever dream, almost. It feels like something I lived like 30 years ago.”

Given it’s so fresh in her memory, the weight of that stretch has not lifted from her heart. “But also just yesterday at the same time it’s like a fearing for your child’s life is like the most I don’t even like have words for it,” she said, while fighting back her tears, as her voice cracked.

“I you don’t want anyone to ever have to like feel that way or like it’s humbling. It’s also like brought me so much closer to God. It made me realize like how much I do have to be thankful for,” she continued.

What the family first thought would be a short stay turned into a month in the hospital before they could bring Rookie home. Alexa was the one to share the news of Rookie not being well on social media at the time, posting images of their son with an oxygen tube, offering a glimpse into a fight that played out far from the spotlight.

Through it all, Reddick found himself straddling two worlds, one at the track and one at a hospital bedside. He later admitted that he had weighed stepping away from racing for close to five weeks, and it was not until the final stretch of the 2025 season that he felt settled behind the wheel again.

But now, the clouds have cleared. Rookie is back home and doing well, and Reddick has returned to doing what he does best, keeping his foot down and stacking wins.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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