Boy’s bike dream comes true
Charity foundation sees Tiano, 7, ride new bike with brother and close friend
RIDING a bicycle with his brother was a lifelong dream realised yesterday by a boy, aged seven, who has a lifethreatening illness.
Thanks to the Reach for a Dream Foundation, Tiano Maart was thrilled to receive a brand new Avalanche BMX – with training wheels – at the bowl and skate park at Kings Beach.
He also received protective gear and a toy car from the foundation.
Adding to the excitement, his brother Sergio, 8, and friend Jadewin Jordaan, 9, also received new bicycles.
Part of Tiano’s dream was riding a bicycle with his brother and his friend.
Before receiving his special surprise, Tiano was treated to tricks and flicks at the skate park by BMX rider David Rigby and twins Matthew and Vincent Silo.
“I am very happy about this present. Thank you to the people who made it possible. I cannot wait to start learning to ride,” Tiano said.
Reach for a Dream Foundation branch manager Charne Blume called Tiano a courageous boy, saying: “I hope this day inspires hope in him to continue fighting his illness.
“He is so caring and loving. One can hear the soft tone in his voice,” she said.
Tiano has osteosarcoma, a cancerous growth in his bones, which developed near his left knee in December.
Tiano’s mother Mercia said her son was always a happy and active child.
“At first we did not know exactly what was wrong. He came to me and said his knee hurt . . . [so] I took him to a doctor,” Mercia said.
Hein Baker, a co-sponsor for this dream, undertook a bicycle ride from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town to raise funds for charity.
The proceeds went to the Reach for a Dream Foundation.
“He just wants to be a normal young boy and do things they do, so I hope he enjoys his new bike,” Baker said.