Teen's wish granted with refurbished pickup following cancer treatment

May 5—When Tanner Lair was in the hospital going through chemotherapy thoughts about refurbishing his 1996 Ford F-250 got him through the treatments.

Talking with his mom Kayla Caudill and his stepfather Alan Sempf while at Logan Health Children's, he would weigh the different options. Selecting a bright blue for the paint to add to the silver of the truck's original two-tone design was top of the list. He wanted a flatbed for his future welding business and after hitting more than one deer while driving he felt a sturdy front bumper was necessary.

Standing beside his family, Lair, 18, on Tuesday finally got the chance after more than a year to see his completed truck roll out of the garage at Glacier Collision Worx, which led the project. Keeping his back turned until it was completely visible, Lair spun around as a huge grin spread across his face.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, arms raised in celebration.

While being handed the keys, he thanked the group of people, many of whom had worked on the truck, gathered in the parking lot.

"This is way better than I thought it was going to be," he said. "This is my dream truck and I'm so glad you did this for me."

Checking out the truck inside and out, Lair asked "Can I do a burnout on the way out?"

"Not like a big burnout, a little one," his mom Kayla Caudill replied. "Make sure you wear your seat belt."

The moment was more than a year in the making and the completion of Lair's request through Make-A-Wish to have his truck refurbished. Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with critical illnesses and provided $10,000 toward the truck.

Before turning it over to Glacier Collision Lair rebuilt the engine of the diesel pickup truck he purchased. The vehicle needed restoration bodywork including repairing rust, Glacier Collision owner Rick Crook said, while noting that he also reached out to his connections to provide extras for the truck. A host of businesses and individuals provided additional donations to assist with a list of repairs and modifications including a new windshield, bodywork, new paint, new rims and tires, a custom bumper, flatbed, a new stereo, seat covers and floor mats.

"We do regular collision work and restoration work and when Tanner asked us, we couldn't pass this up," Crook said. "When I asked other manufacturers that we work with to help out they were ready to do it. Everybody has enjoyed working on it. We were happy to help after his fight with cancer and where he's come from to get here."

WHILE ON a hunting trip in Eastern Montana, Lair first realized something wasn't right with his health. His stepfather Alan Sempf noticed he was keeping to himself. When they returned Lair told his mom his neck hurt and when she looked at it she saw a mass.

"He retreated away from himself," Sempf said. "We both noticed that his neck was swollen. We definitely knew something was going on, but we didn't know what. Then everything changed."

Several trips to doctors eventually revealed stage three non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer not commonly found in children that begins in the lymphatic system which is part of the body's immune system. As a result of the cancer, he had 100 masses from his neck to his feet.

Every month for six months, he went through five doses of chemo for three days. Then through blood tests and scans every week.

"Because it was so fast-growing within a month and a half of knowing he was already in stage three," Caudill said. "So his chemo was very intense and so they had him in the hospital for three days and let him recover in the hospital because it was horrific."

On Wednesday nights, Sempf would stay with Lair as he went through treatment. They'd talk about his truck working through his options.

"I knew I wanted my Make-A-Wish to make my dreams come true as a welding truck," Lair said. "So I could make my dream come true to be a welder. This is to start my own path of success."

Throughout his cancer treatment, Lair went to school, worked and rebuilt the engine of the pickup truck. In January he graduated from Flathead High School and earned two welding certifications from Flathead Valley Community College.

Caudill said her son spends time with friends and family, and visits his grandparents daily.

"He's such a good human being," she said. "He got a job to pay for his own vehicle. He's set goals to take care of himself. This hasn't been easy and he graduated from high school six months early and he's finishing his welding certifications. I couldn't ask for a better kid."

The cancer is in remission and Lair goes through periodic scans to monitor his health.

After purchasing a 32-foot Grey Wolf travel trailer, and now with his Ford completed, he plans to hit the road working as a traveling welder. He hopes to visit all 50 states.

"This is the missing piece of my puzzle," Lair said of his truck. "I have my own house and I'm living on my own. I'm working two jobs. And I'm getting ready to get on with starting my life."

In addition to Glacier Collision Worx, businesses that donated to the truck include Pierce Manufacturing, Northland Fabrication, Kalispell NAPA, Glacier Glass, LKQ/Keystone, Wesco/KC, Tire-Rama, Big Sky Tire and Auto, FH Stoltze Land and Lumber Co. and Bee Broadcasting.

Features Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@dailyinterlake.com.

Tanner Lair smiles as he receives a hug and the keys to his refurbished Ford F-250 from Glacier Collision Worx Production Manager Tim Stoddard after the Make-A-Wish foundation provided $10,000 in funding to revamp the truck for Lair, who is in remission from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

Casey Kreider

Tanner Lair smiles as he looks over his refurbished Ford F-250 from Glacier Collision Worx in Evergreen on Tuesday, April 30. The Make-A-Wish foundation provided $10,000 in funding to revamp the truck for Lair, who is in remission from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

Casey Kreider

Tanner Lair's refurbished Ford F-250 is driven out of a garage bay at Glacier Collision Worx in Evergreen on Tuesday, April 30. The Make-A-Wish foundation provided $10,000 in funding to revamp the truck for Lair, who is in remission from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

Casey Kreider

Tanner Lair with his stepfather Alan Sempf and mother Kayla Caudill in front of his newly-refurbished Ford F-250 outside Glacier Collision Worx in Evergreen on Tuesday, April 30. The Make-A-Wish foundation provided $10,000 in funding to revamp the truck for Lair, who is in remission from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

Casey Kreider

Tanner Lair smiles as he looks over his refurbished Ford F-250 from Glacier Collision Worx in Evergreen on Tuesday, April 30. The Make-A-Wish foundation provided $10,000 in funding to revamp the truck for Lair, who is in remission from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

Casey Kreider

Tanner Lair receives his refurbished 1996 Ford F-250 from the team at Glacier Collision Worx in Evergreen on Tuesday, April 30. The Make-A-Wish foundation provided $10,000 in funding to revamp the truck for Lair, who is in remission from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)

Casey Kreider

Tanner Lair's 1996 Ford F-250 before it was refurbished through a Make-A-Wish request. (Courtesy photo)