NASCAR joins efforts to help Tripp Halstead

ATLANTA — The family of a 2-year-old says the child is making progress after setbacks from a traumatic brain surgery.

Doctors have removed Tripp Halstead's breathing tube and he is breathing on his own once again.

Sunday night, doctors at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston had to reinsert Tripp’s breathing tube because of a collapsed lung. His parents told Channel 2’s Kerry Kavanaugh his lung has healed and he's breathing well on his own.

"It came out so nice and easy and he just immediately picked right back and immediately without skipping a beat started breathing on his own," Tripp's father, Bill Halstead, told Channel 2's Kerry Kavanaugh.

He said there are encouraging signs in store.

"We get to see his full face for the first time, so that was amazing," said Tripp's mother, Stacy Halstead.

When doctors removed the breathing tube, they also removed oxygen tubes from his nose, his neckbrace and several bandages.

“It looked more like our baby because the swelling has gone down, he doesn't have the bandages all over him or the tubes," she said.

Thousands have followed Tripp’s story on Channel 2 Action News and on Facebook. Now, NASCAR is taking notice.

All eyes will be on car ‘00’ during the final Nationwide Series race in Miami-Homestead this weekend.

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The owner has dedicated the ‘00’ to Tripp Halstead, his family and their mission. Kavanaugh obtained some of the pictures of the car.

"We always try and do things to help others and this was something we felt we could help the family raise some awareness to raise some funds," said Dacula race car owner, Jason Sciavicco.

Sciavicco had the car wrapped in the Team Boom logo which has become the rallying cry for Tripp’s recovery.

”Tripp used to go around and he would just fist bump everybody and he would say BOOM when he did it,” Bill Halstead said.

WSBTV