🥁 Introducing…the 2024 Kid Captains! We’re thrilled to introduce the incredible kids being honored during the
@HawkeyeFootball
season. Meet them here:
#KidCaptain
.
@CarsonKing2
, it may have started as just as sign, but you managed to create something truly special
#ForTheKids
. We are so proud of this effort, and are grateful for the lasting impact it will have on our pediatric patients and their families! 💛
#ThankYou
I’m honestly at a loss for words. Almost 3 Million Dollars for
@UIchildrens
. I have suspended my Venmo account, but you can still donate at . Thank you everyone. And to the kids and their families, keep on fighting!
Simply amazing. We’re overwhelmed by the generosity
#ForTheKids
, and we could not be more grateful. Gifts from across the country will now help us care for kids from all across the country!
Our patients had some special visitors yesterday afternoon! 🏈 Former
@HawkeyeFootball
players and current San Francisco
@49ers
, George Kittle and C.J. Beathard, stopped by our hospital while they were back in Iowa.
”Hi, my name’s George.” Big thanks to former Hawkeye and current
@49ers
tight end George Kittle for spreading some joy with our patients and families yesterday!
@gkittle46
|
@hawkeyefootball
We're moved by Riley Lafrenz (9) of Indianola, IA. Riley "was inspired by the
#wave
to
@UIchildrens
during
@HawkeyeFootball
games. His "life savings" was supposed to be for a pack of
@NFL
cards...but he decided this was more important." Riley, you are an inspiration!
#ThankYou
“I see them!” The
#HawkeyeWave
became the Holiday Wave tonight. We’re so thankful for the way you show love to our patients and their families! 💛
#ThankYou
It's a big deal around here when our patients finish
#chemotherapy
. We celebrate their strength and courage, and the support they received throughout treatment. Lauren's all done with
#chemo
, and that's something to be celebrated. 💛🖤
No.1 pick! 🏀🎉
On behalf of our patients and staff, congratulations
@caitlinclark22
on being drafted to the
@indianafever
! We are excited to cheer you on as you begin this journey. 💛
We Did It! Thank you to all the Local Busch Light Distributors across the state for the final $41,000.00, making this last push possible! 3 Million Dollars for
@UIchildrens
!
#ForTheKids
Sixteen years ago, Kelby Telander had surgery to receive a cochlear implant at our hospital, allowing him to hear clearly for the first time. Now Kelby is a member of the
@HawkeyeFootball
team. His story:
We’ve got mail! 📬
Thank you,
@NevadaWolfPack
, for sending our staff, patients, and families the letter and care package after the Iowa vs. Nevada football game. The
#HawkeyeWave
is truly the best tradition in college football! 💛
Sometimes our kiddos aren’t able to leave their hospital rooms to enjoy
@HawkeyeFootball
games. Last Saturday, two of our patients used iPads to drive Ohmni Robots to the Level 11 playroom. They were able to meet each other virtually and enjoy the game together.💛
When the
@Patriots
and the
@BuffaloBills
take the field this Sunday, former
@HawkeyeFootball
players James Ferentz and Ike Boettger will be supporting our hospital with their cleats!
#MyCauseMyCleats
📷: New England Patriots/Eric J. Adler, Buffalo Bills/Sarah Schmidle
.
@gkittle46
: the children’s tight end! Thank you to George (and all the players who signed the
#PeoplesTightEnd
belt, including fellow former
@HawkeyeFootball
player Noah Fant) for fundraising on behalf of our pediatric patients and their families. 💛
1,000+ nights in our hospital. 46+ surgeries, including a
#kidney
transplant. This is what
#Hawkeye
strength looks like. Meet
#KidCaptain
Christopher Turnis (Dubuque, IA) 💛🖤
Research shows that if more than 80% of the population wears a face covering, the pandemic would end. Let’s
#MaskUpIA
so we can get back to normal sooner! 😷
#COVID19
Our hospital and
@TheIowaHawkeyes
have been part of Drew Hennigan’s life since before he was even born. This week, the 8-year-old from West Des Moines, IA, will cheer on the
@HawkeyeFootball
team as our first
#KidCaptain
of 2021! Learn more about Drew here:
@CarsonKing2
@BuschBeer
@venmo
To all who have shown their support to UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, thank you. Your overwhelming generosity allows us to do more to help kids live better lives. You are making a difference for kids and families in Iowa and around the world, today and in the future.💛
There’s no debate… No matter which team you're cheering for today, we can all agree that some of the toughest Hawkeyes and Cyclones you'll ever meet are in our NICU!
@CarsonKing2
@BuschBeer
@venmo
We can’t think—our minds are blown by all of this! 🤯 Thank you to everyone who helped reach this milestone! We’re so grateful! 💛
Flashback to last May when former Hawkeye and current San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and his wife Claire visited our patients and families. Good luck in tonight’s Super Bowl, George! 💛
The
#Wave
is being considered for Best Sporting Moment of the Year by the Laureus International Sports Awards. Cast your vote at .
📷: Jeffrey Becker, USA Today Sports Images
Madison didn’t cry when she was born, and then her airway collapsed. Diagnosed with a rare congenital syndrome, she has been through 19 surgeries over the years. Now 9, she loves to dance and sing. 💛 Meet this week’s
#KidCaptain
from Carlisle, Iowa:
Kendra—who has Down syndrome—stopped breathing in her sleep when she was around 2 months old, and was diagnosed with subglottic stenosis and laryngomalacia. Saturday, this
#KidCaptain
will cheer on the
#Hawkeyes
. Meet Kendra Hines from Mount Vernon, Iowa.
“Our Luka may never grow to be as tall as our favorite
@IowaHoops
player
@LukaG_55
, but his dreams are just as big!” Luka was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, in March. Thanks to his awesome care team, he’s now thriving. 💛🖤
#DwarfismAwarenessMonth
This tough
#Hawkeye
has battled back from
#Ecoli
and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a dangerous condition that can lead to life-threatening kidney failure. Meet
#KidCaptain
Harper Still (Bedford, IA) 💛🖤
Thanks to you, "the wave" was named December's Best Sporting Moment by Laureus World Sports Awards, making it one of five finalists being named Best Sporting Event of the Year.
Voting is open now at , and the winner will be announced on Feb. 27 in Monaco.
It's a moment 8-year-old Sid Hesse will never forget. Watch his reaction after winning a raffle for the shoes that
@IowaHoops
star Jordan Bohannon wore during his last game in Ames after beating Iowa State. Bohannon and his shoes helped raise $26,000 for
@UIChildrens
.
Thank you to all the
#RAGBRAI
riders who stopped by this morning for a Hawkeye Wave, including our UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital team. We appreciate the love! 💛
“I invite all football fans to take a moment at the beginning of Saturday’s second quarter to consider the children upstairs. The children who will be healing and battling for 287 days until the next
#Wave
. They don’t have an offseason.” - Dan Pelzer, MD
Kendra Hines enjoyed that
#KidCaptain
feeling yesterday! 💛🖤 Take a peek at the fun Kendra had with her family,
@HawkeyeFootball
fans, and the players and coaches at yesterday’s homecoming game.
There's no sweeter sound! After being treated at our hospital throughout Spring and Summer, Ali—whose oncologist was David Dickens, MD—rang the bell signifying her final cancer treatment. Congrats, Ali! 💛
Wow! Check out this cake entered at this year’s
@IowaStateFair
!
"I wanted (kids at
@uichildrens
) to see that every minute of every day we are thinking of them, and that they are not alone,” says cake decorator Stephanie Reynolds, of Sheldahl, Iowa.
#1stQtrWave
#HawkeyeWave
What a week! We are overwhelmed by all of your generosity, and our hearts are full. A quick message for everyone who has donated to help the kids. 💛
#ForTheKids
2016 Kid Captain Parker Kress has faced his diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma with bravery, courage, and a positive attitude. Today, he was presented with two tickets to the next Super Bowl by
@Broncos
linebacker and
@uiowa
alumni Josey Jewell. Congrats, Parker! 💛🖤
Mason was born with Angelman syndrome, a rare condition characterized by movement and balance issues, developmental delays, seizures, and the inability to speak. On Saturday, his smile will light up
#Kinnick
. Meet
#KidCaptain
Mason Gonzalez (Jesup, IA) 💛🖤
Gabby was born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome, and had three open
#heart
surgeries by age 4. Despite everything she's faced, Gabby is now thriving! This Saturday, this
#KidCaptain
will cheer on the Hawkeyes. Meet Gabby Yoder from Kalona, Iowa. .
Yesterday’s basketball game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Indiana Hoosiers had several special moments, including when ESPN’s
@CollegeGameDay
hosts featured one of our pediatric patients, Harper Stribe.
Hear Harper’s story, including her special bond with
@IowaWBB
, below. 💛
The Hawkeye Wave is now more than a gesture, it’s a location. The street just south of our hospital has been renamed Hawkeye Wave Way in honor of the best tradition in college sports and is designated with a gold and black street sign.
She has juvenile dermatomyositis - a rare autoimmune disease that affects just three in 1 million children each year. Saturday, this tough
#Hawkeye
will serve as
#KidCaptain
. Meet Gwen White (West Burlington, IA):
#GoHawks
#JDM
🖤💛
Nearly 40 surgeries and over 200 blood transfusions have enabled Aidan to overcome challenges and dream of being a veterinarian. Saturday, this resilient
#Hawkeye
will serve as
#KidCaptain
. Meet Aidan Kasper (Cedar Rapids, IA):
Since a massive tumor was found in her brain eight years ago, Lucy's had two brain surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, and years of physical and occupational therapy. This Saturday, she’ll cheer on the
#Hawkeyes
! Meet Lucy Roth from Iowa City, Iowa.
By the time he was 7 years old, Kale had overcome two forms of rare cancer. This past summer, Kale celebrated five years being cancer-free. Meet this week’s
#KidCaptain
:
After 332 days in the hospital & the gift of a new heart, Will Kohn (7) of Bettendorf, IA was able to go home earlier this month. We wish Will and his parents, Chris and Meghan, all the best!
#TeamWill
#transplant
Cien had his first seizure when he was around 5 months old. Thanks to his care team, this tough
#Hawkeye
is two years seizure-free and is known for his big smile. Saturday, he will serve as
#KidCaptain
. Meet Cien Currie (Winterset, IA):
Shortly after his fifth birthday, Jackson was diagnosed with a rare, cancerous brain tumor. Thanks to his neuro-oncology team, he’s now an energetic 8 year old. Saturday, this
#Hawkeye
will serve as
#KidCaptain
. Meet Jackson Tijerina (Council Bluffs, IA):
Gracelyn had surgery on her right kidney last October. Her dad reached out to
@GaryDolphin
to see if he could give the recovering Gracelyn a shout out during a
@HawkeyeFootball
game. Gary did mention Gracelyn’s name on air, and her reaction to it is sure to brighten your day! 💛
It was just a few years ago when Eli Belser faced stage 4 cancer. On Saturday, the second-grader from Elkader was a special guest inside Kinnick Stadium as our first
#KidCaptain
of the season. 💛🖤
There’s nothing quite like watching
@HawkeyeFootball
players swarm the field at
#Kinnick
Stadium. But during a pandemic, a virtual swarm through the tunnel and out onto the field is pretty awesome too! 💛
Only 30 people in the world have the rare
#genetic
disease our
#KidCaptain
was born with. But her strength of spirit is second to none. Meet Quinn Stumpf (6) from Riverside, IA.
#GoHawks
#Hawkeyes
💛🖤
When his mother was 16 weeks pregnant, Skylar was given a 1% chance of surviving. He has defied the odds ever since, and this Saturday, Skylar will cheer on the
#Hawkeyes
as
#KidCaptain
! Meet Skylar Hardee from Hubbard, Iowa. .
Whether you’re a health care worker, are caring for a loved one, or are practicing
#socialdistancing
to protect others, we are all in this together. 💛 Shout out to the Level 5 pediatric surgery team for creating this display!
#COVID19
#healthcareheroes
#InItTogether
It was discovered that Andrew had kidney failure shortly after he was born. Since then, he’s had two kidney transplants and has overcome a rare cancer. Saturday, this
#KidCaptain
will cheer on the
#Hawkeyes
. Meet Andrew Morlan (Cedar Falls, IA): .
Jeg might be from Illinois, but he’s a
#Hawkeye
fan through and through, and he had a blast cheering them on yesterday! Take a peek at the fun Kid Captain Jeg Weets (Morrison, Ill.) had with his family,
@HawkeyeFootball
fans, and the players and coaches at yesterday's game.