Tucker's vips

Very Important patients

Tucker's VIPs is Team Tucker's main program.  We help kids who are battling life-threatening diseases by finding ways to bring Play, Laughter, and Love into their lives. We believe that these kids need opportunities to escape their painful and scary realities in order to keep up strength for their battles. We can help by:

  • providing the resources and arrangements necessary to bring family and close friends for a visit while the patient undergoes long-term treatment away from home.
  • giving the family a chance to get away together when treatment allows.
  • surprising the kids with toys or gift cards.

Please fill out the VIP Request Form if you know of a child we may be able to help.  Or you can donate now to help us help more VIPs.

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VIP Request Form
Jason Zucker and Tucker in hospital
Tucker always appreciated time to play and laugh with his favorite visitor, Jason Zucker

VIP Gallery

Some of our recent VIPs and family who are playing, laughing, and feeling the love of family and friends thanks to our generous donors.

VIP Jack loved that his friend could make the trip to visit him.
Dana was invited to a celebration dinner at VIP Sulayman's home.
VIP Ryan was able to give his mom some special birthday gifts, thanks to our donors.
Sophie's sister and mom visited her during her treatment time in Colorado .
Peyton flew first class to Philadelphia for treatment.
Lennox connects with family with the iPad given to her by Team Tucker.
VIP Lucas's family appreciated that extended family could travel to be by their side.
VIP Olivia loved the toys she received while isolated in the hospital.
VIP Hezekiah was able to escape the heat with a hotel stay donated by Running Aces.
VIP Cambree loved time with her dad every weekend he could travel to see her in the hospital.
Before passing away, Axlyn picked out personalized ornaments for her siblings and parents.
Ayotzin finally could go out and enjoy a public show safely with the suite bought just for her.
Cameron was cheered up by a bunch of fun and funny toys.
Team Tucker flew Destiny's mom to Minneapolis so Destiny's doctors would allow her to fly back home to Florida safely.
VIP Elyse loved her presents and new toys.
Emari's mom was grateful for a mortgage payment while staying by Emari's side for weeks in the PICU.
Aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents loved coming to celebrate Finn's birthday with him.
Gianna was so happy to be able to buy presents for her siblings and parents when she was very sick.
Heidi was so excited about the surprise visit from two of her best friends while she was away getting treatment at Stanford Hospital.
Hudson and his little sister got to visit each other every night while he was in the hospital through iPads given by Team Tucker.
Kiera and her family appreciated the toys, gas, and travel money to make the drive from Washington to Children's Hospital in Minneapolis a little easier.
Mariah loved her belated 13th birthday celebration at Red Lobster one week after her hospital discharge.
Megan's family appreciated a professionally cleaned home to help keep Megan safe during chemo.
Micaela's mom's car was totaled so she was riding the bus to and from Micaela's chemo treatments. Team Tucker helped out by paying for Uber rides instead.
Quentin got to celebrate with cousins after his bone marrow transplant.
RaZyia's dad was able to fly in from Missouri in order to be with her during her stem cell transplant.
Rhys and his mom were together throughout his stem cell transplant because Team Tucker was able to help with the mortgage.
Caleb's family was grateful for the financial support for funeral expenses.
RJ was able to take it easy in a hotel instead of having to drive up in the morning for surgery.
Hafsa loved celebrating her eighth and last birthday in Hawaii with her mom and little brother.
Ruby's family was grateful for a new stove to replace their broken one while Ruby was hospitalized for bone cancer treatments.
Stacy's 18th birthday was spent in the hospital, but a visit from friends made it a lot more fun!
Easton and his dad were able to relax in a hotel room provided by Team Tucker after their long drive to Minneapolis for treatment.
Zachary and his family appreciated their get-away to recharge between chemo treatments.
Sawyer enjoyed an awesome get-away to Duluth with his family during year 2 of his leukemia treatment.
Autumn's cousins, aunt & uncle came to celebrate the end of 100 days of isolation after her bone marrow transplant.
Ella had so much fun on her shopping spree and her parents appreciated the gas gift cards.
Grant's parents appreciated the support we were able to provide them after he passed away.
Hollis's parents and grandma appreciated the special SUV we rented for them to bring Hollis home to MO after he passed away at Minneapolis Children's Hospital.
Ida and her family were excited to receive toys and gas gift cards to help get them to appointments.
Jarvys and his mom were grateful for the new brakes for their car so they could travel safely to appointments.
New toys brought joy to Lilli during her hospital stay.
After a long absence for treatment, Lillian celebrated her return to school with a pizza and donut party with her classmates.
Maddie celebrated surviving a 4-year battle with leukemia with her family in Hawaii.
Patty got some new toys to lift her spirits and mom received a Visa gift card.
A dinner gift card plus toys and a mortgage payment brought joy and relief to Quentin S. and family.
Riley's family getaway to a waterpark was awesome!
Tatum and her sister enjoyed some fun gifts and her parents appreciated the gas cards we sent.
Tori loved the visit from her grandparents after 3 months of isolation in the hospital.
An Amazon gift card brought smiles to Nicolas and his parents appreciated the mortgage payment.
Massey loves her new unicorn and her family is so grateful for financial support for a life-saving medication.
Liv and her family recharged with a great getaway before facing more medical challenges.
Team Tucker made it possible for VIP Andy and his parents to finally get to Johns Hopkins for a special treatment for kids with the most extreme cases of cystic fibrosis
Ava and her siblings loved the toys from Team Tucker. A mortgage payment was also much appreciated!
When a genetic heart condition forced VIP Carter to quit basketball forever he hoped jet skiing would give him some of the fun he used to have, so Team Tucker paid for some jet ski time and lessons.
The family was truly grateful that VIP Fernando's grandparents could come from Puerto Rico to say goodbye to their grandson.
VIP Gavin loved that his siblings got as many gifts as he did. His parents appreciated the hotels and gas cards for driving anywhere it took to find a hospital that could help prolong his life.
So many fun toys for VIP Hadley, and a trip to the Omaha Zoo when she is feeling better!
International VIP Kyle, age 16, spent six months at the Mayo Clinic, far from family and friends in Uganda. He really enjoyed when Team Tucker brought him to the cities for a Wolves game, high school hockey games, American food that he loves, and the chance to play with peers that turned into friends.
VIP Kyle's 2 hour drives to the hospital for appointments several times a week go by much more quickly with the iPad and gift cards from Team Tucker. Gas gift cards will make sure they can get there every time.
After years of battling, VIP Nolan finally got his wish trip but wanted to add a scuba diving excursion for his family. Team Tucker gave him that and other extras for the family's enjoyment.
Snacks and Legos for VIP Spencer's long hospital stays helped lift his spirits. He can't wait to go to MOA with his four brothers once he is feeling up to it.

Meet Cambree

In Bismarck, ND, on February 7th, Brady and Abigail learned their little girl was struggling to breathe, not because of a respiratory virus like they had been told for weeks, but because their 2 year-old daughter had a tumor the size of four baseballs taking over her chest cavity. It was crushing Cambree’s lungs and had forced her heart and other organs below her belly button. She was immediately flown to Fargo, then to Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis, with medical teams saving her life twice.

 

Intense chemo treatments began with mom and dad at her hospital bedside. After eight weeks, however, Brady’s leave was over and he had to return to work in Bismarck. He was in tears at the thought of leaving his baby girl while she was fighting for her life.  That’s when Team Tucker got the call. After learning that Team Tucker would fly him back for the next four weekends, Brady was again in tears, but these were happy tears. Thanks to our donors, he would only have to be away from Cambree for 120 hours and then be back by her side to take care of her and support his amazing wife.

Cambree with her dad in hospital bed

 

In June, it was time for Cambree to undergo a groundbreaking and lengthy surgery to remove the remaining tumor, now down to the size of “just” one baseball. Brady and Abigail were consumed with anxiety about this first-of-its kind surgery and wanted support. Our donors helped again by covering the cost of the hotel for Cambree’s grandparents and little brother to stay in Minneapolis for the week. Team Tucker was able to bring the family together when Cambree needed it most. She was in surgery all day, with her chest cracked open as the surgeons performed the next miracle: They got the cancer out, ALL of it! 

 

On Cambree’s 138th day in the hospital, Brady flew into Minneapolis one last time. This time it was a one-way ticket because Brady finally was able to bring his girls home! Cambree needs thirteen more rounds of chemotherapy, but she can do that in Bismarck, surrounded by the two most important things: family and love.

 

Thank you to all of the generous donors who make the VIP Program possible, and a tremendous thank you to Brady and Abigail for sharing the story of their amazing daughter, Cambree.

Cambree sleeping in Dad's lap
Cambree giving Dad a kiss

 

 

"The most important things are family and love. Team Tucker honors both. I can’t thank you enough." - Brady, May 2022

LOGAN - TUCKER'S VERY FIRST VIP

Logan fishing at Running Aces
Logan, catching trout for their dinner at Running Aces in Columbus, MN. The family enjoyed a real VIP experience thanks to the very generous ​package that Running Aces provided!

From Logan's Mom, Rochelle: We are from Kyle, South Dakota, which is located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. I heard of Team Tucker by visiting the hospital library and I read the information packet. Logan was admitted to Masonic Children’s Hospital on May 17, 2019 and discharged to the Ronald McDonald house on May 22, 2019. He was officially discharged [and able to return home] July 17, 2019. We were at the Ronald McDonald house for almost 3 months. The visit from our family allowed Logan to reconnect with his dad who has been out of the home for 2 years. I think this visit was the beginning of his healing process emotionally. The best part of the visit was being engaged in all the activities with our family. It was great to see Logan smile. To work with Team Tucker’s VIP program was the absolute best experience. They were all caring and compassionate towards us and really cared about Logan and his interests in sports and being with family. This was a memorable experience for all of us as a family. We would have never had this opportunity to be with our family without the help and support of Team Tucker. Team tucker really cares of about children and their families. Thank you Team Tucker for all that you do.

Logan loves sports. During the summer of 2019, when he was 16 years old, Logan spent over three months at Masonic Children's Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House while receiving a kidney transplant and follow up care. Logan had his mom, Rochelle, by his side, but they both missed their family and friends from back home in southwestern South Dakota. Fortunately, Team Tucker was able to provide them with a visit in late June from several family members.

Thank you to the businesses who partnered with us to make this visit possible for Logan's family!

Logan with his mom and friends at Twins game
Logan and Rochelle enjoying a Twins game at Target Field with Tucker's Teammate contributor Nolan and his mom