“Goofy” boy fights cancer at 3 years old
Dixie Wigington has seen her son Jasper’s goofy personality, his growing faith in God and his passion for old cars.
She has also seen his bones showing through his skin.
At 3 years old, Gilmer boy Jasper Wigington is fighting a malignant rhabdoid tumor, a rare form of cancer.
“It was horrible,” Dixie Wigington said. “He lost his hair and everything. That broke my heart.”
She has also seen his strength, and the love of her community.
On Aug. 16 at 10:30 a.m., her friend Logan Sawyer plans a benefit ride to help raise money for the family.
Registration for the ride begins at 9:30 a.m. It costs $25 per rider, and $30 for riders with motorcycles. All donations and event earnings will go toward Wigington’s family.
The ride starts and ends at Yahoola Creek Park at 1166 Captain McDonald Road in Dahlonega.
After the ride, there will be an event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with food and a box where people can donate toys to kids fighting cancer.
Jasper’s birthday is in a few weeks.
“I’m sure they didn’t expect their 3-year-old to come up with something this horrible,” Sawyer said. “Especially for a little child that has to go through all of this pain and basically fight for their lives, it just breaks my heart,” Sawyer said.
Jasper is the first son of Dixie Wigington and her husband Dylan Prather.
“I have a soft spot for kids,” Sawyer said. “If it was one of my own kids, I would hope that somebody would try to do something for me.”
The couple are expecting twins soon. This makes it harder for them to handle doctors’ appointments.
Although Dixie Wigington and Dylan Prather received a diagnosis for cancer in January of 2024, they noticed a bulge in Jasper Wigington’s throat far earlier. At first, doctors thought the problem was just his tonsils.
“We could tell something was off,” Dixie Wigington said.
After noticing one of Jasper Wigington’s pupils was larger than the other, they brought him to the hospital.
After a month, they had a diagnosis. Jasper has a rare type of aggressive cancer.
Helping her son fight cancer has been “very tough,” Dixie Wigington said.
Treating his cancer would bring big changes to the family.
As Jasper Wigington has lost muscle to chemo, he has done his best to exercise and stay healthy.
“He’s like, ‘Well, I’m going to just build my muscles up.’ And he’ll start trying to do things, walk or exercise as much as he can,” Dixie Wigington said.
He often reminds his mom to keep him wearing a mask to help protect his immune system, Wigington said.
“He’s a very goofy kid. He’s a great kid,” she said.
Despite the challenges, Jasper has stayed strong in fighting the cancer, Wigington said.
“If you’ve seen his personality with what he’s gone through, you’d be pretty mind blown,” she said. “He keeps such a good energy.”
At one time, he dropped down to 25 pounds, but right now he’s up to 35. His eye has returned to normal, and his tumor has shrunk significantly.
Doctors plan for him to finish chemotherapy by November this year at the latest. By then, it may be possible to surgically remove the cancer, some of which has spread to his lungs Dixie Wigington said.
“It doesn’t take knowing people to love people and to want to help and try to make things easier,” Sawyer said.