Author: TeamBrax

Big update covering June, July & August – lots of pics and videos!

June:

In early June 3M Open surprised Brax with an end of chemo party where they officially named her the 2021 3M Open Junior Ambassador. The party was held at TPC and included an amazing guest list of people who have played a critical role in her cancer journey. Brax could not stop smiling and was very much looking forward to the golf tournament at the end of July. #golfthatmatters

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School ended June 10^th and that Sunday TB1F held the First Annual Putt Fore Patients at BMW of Minnetonka. This event was dreamed up by Brax since she did not think it was fair that only the parents could go to galas, etc. She created this family friendly event to help brighten the days for patients and families at Masonic Children’s Hospital. The event raised over $50,000 and is looking to be bigger and better in 2022. 

After all the hard work that went into Putt Fore Patients Brax was able to sneak away to Florida for a long weekend and relax. Her cousins were also there on vacation and the girls loved being able to spend time with Brooklyn & Landon. Brax & Bry were so excited to swim in the pool, go to the beach, and eat food from some of their favorite non-Minnesotan restaurants. 

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On a sad note we had to say goodbye to our family dog and everyone’s favorite family member Vinny at the end of June. When Brax was first diagnosed we made Vinny promise to not leave us until she finished her cancer treatment. He held up his end of the deal and then we had to let him go. We will always love and miss him – he was the best dog/fur baby. 

July:

Carousel Motor Group and TB1F held a toy drive to kick off a 5 year commitment to the 5^th Floor Toy closet at Masonic. Brax spent all of her time at Masonic on Floor 5 once she was diagnosed with cancer. Drive to Donate was a great success and is helping to further Brax’s mission of brightening the lives and providing distractions for the children at the hospital. 

https://vimeo.com/601601656

After cancer and covid kept us apart Brax was finally able to see some of her family that lives in Arizona. We had a BBQ at our house and it was so great to see family, some of which we had not seen since Brax was diagnosed in early 2019. 

Brax and the entire family had the best week at the 2021 3M Open. Brax kicked off the tournament with a charity golf challenge that benefited Masonic Children’s Hospital with a check for $80,000. Brax and Bry had a full itinerary for the week and they loved every minute of it. Some of the highlights include touring the TaylorMade truck and having a custom driver made for her. Attending the “Share My Passion” Girls Golf Clinic with Annika Sorenstam and attending the Executive Women’s Day event. Brax was able to work with fellow ambassadors Kyle Rudolph & Josh Duhamel to highlight so many of the fun things that were going on at the 3M Open. Her favorite was the “Wrapped in Happiness” exhibit that featured artwork from Masonic patients on giant golf balls and tees. Brax and Bry were asked to color what makes them happy on the tee markers on Hole 13 and Brax also designed the pin flag on that hole as well. It is all part of the 3M Open’s partnership with Masonic children’s Hospital #golfthatmatters. Brax was even able to film a segment for the PGA at that hole (video below) and meet one of the pros playing in the tournament. The girls loved attending the Compass Celebrity Challenge and getting to meet the celebs on the green after the final hole – definitely a once in a lifetime experience. TB1F hosted patients and families at the tournament and the girls loved seeing friends and meeting new ones as well. Finally, they simply loved golf cart rides with many of the amazing staff members at 3MOpen. 

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The 2020 Tokyo Olympics would be exciting for any gymnast to watch but when you have a friend competing at the Olympics it is absolutely amazing. Twin City Twisters very own Grace McCallum competed for Team USA and brought home a Silver Olympic Medal. Kind, Humble, Olympian are just a few words to describe this amazing young women. We are so proud of our Amazing Grace! 

Meet Ranger Six and Riggins West the two newest additions to the Battaglia family. They have been keeping us all busy but it is so great to have a dog – two dogs – in the house again. 

August:

After over a year long wait TB1F was finally able to host the 1^st Annual Champion’s Cup. It truly was a “Night to Brighten Days” and everyone had a blast raising money for TB1F’s mission. We raised over $115K and are looking to expand on that next year – we can’t wait to hold this event again!

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Uncle Tom and Auntie Laken were finally able to get married after a few Covid delays. The girls were both in the wedding and loved seeing family from both the Battaglia and Docter side. 

The girls were honored to partner with CUB and star in a commercial that will help raise money for the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. The girls had a blast on set with Goldy and the amazing team they were able to work with. 

The girls were both so thankful to be able to do normal kid stuff this summer. Tubing with their cousins in Duluth, Fast Track pool parties, hanging out with friends, and going to Bunker Beach were definitely some of the highlights. We are so thankful for the little things and being able to just be a normal kid once again. 

September Updates coming soon! But check out a couple bits of info that we wanted to get out ASAP.

We did a limited release Childhood Awareness T-shirt again this year and we asked our good friend, neighbor and cancer warrior Bella to design this years shirt. The logo is below and the shirt is on-sale through the end of September. All proceeds to split between TB1Fund and LLS. Please consider showing your support and snagging a shirt. See link below to purchase and use code: TB130 at checkout for 30% off!

https://tb1fund.org/merch

And last, but not least, we are holding our 3rd Annual TCT + TB1F Flippin’ 5K!

Registration is now OPEN for the 3rd Annual TCT Flippin’ 5K!

Click here to Register >>>>>  Flippin’ 5K Registration

 In-Person and Virtual options are both avail this year.  If you live out of the metro area, out of state, or simply want to enjoy from the comfort of your own treadmill/elliptical – sign up for the Virtual option.  

When:  

Saturday, October 16th, 2021

9-9:30AM Registration

9:30-11AM 5K Walk/Run

Where:  

Elm Creek Preserve 

(Meet at TCT in Champlin)

9001 123rd Ave N, Champlin, MN 55316 

Walk or Run, In-Person or Virtual, by yourself or with family, friends or co-workers – come out and support Brax & TB1F!    

Companies – offer your employees the chance to walk, neighborhoods – grab all your buddies, sport teams – grab your teammates – let’s make year 3 the best year yet!   

Race shirts by our friends at UNRL and medals for everyone!  

*note: register by 9/24 to guarantee race shirt for day of 5K (in-person)

And we continue to ask for prayers for all our friends dealing with cancer or the effects of cancer treatment – Bella, Gianna, & Megan!

We have been waiting for a long time to be able to say this, but the time has finally come – Brax is finished with her cancer treatment!!! It does not even sound or feel real but we could not be more excited! We are so thankful that this day has come and we want to thank everyone for all the amazing support over the last 28 months. It has been a roller coaster, but we followed Brax’s lead and made it across the finish line. We could not be more proud of both her and Brylee and the way they handled themselves over these past few very challenging years.

Brax and Brylee were able to join their TCT coaches and Fast Track teammates for the end of the season banquet. It was a very fun and special evening for everyone. Brax received the award for Most Dedicated.  We feel that Kim is the one who truly deserves the Most Dedicated award. Kim never stopped believing in Brax and has done everything in her power to help Brax continue to be able to do what she loves. She has dedicated so much time and I am not sure how we will ever thank her. Kim would come to our house and coach Brax when Brax was too weak and immune compromised to be in the gym. She would visit her in the hospital and sometimes would even help her get in a small workout. Kim is one of the few people throughout this journey that Brax was able to see on a regular basis – her dedication, love, support, and friendship is something we are so blessed to have. Kim and Brax’s bond is like no other and we will be forever thankful for all that she has done for our family.

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For those of you who may not follow football, but follow Brax, we are excited to inform you that her buddy Rashod Bateman was drafted in the 1^st Round of the NFL Draft 2021. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens and we are so happy for him. We appreciate his support of TB1F and Brax. We are so excited to see what the future holds for him and we are hoping to catch a game this year as well.

A week before her last big treatment at the hospital, Brax had an unexpected trip to the Emergency Department. She ended up spiking a fever, and for cancer kids that means an automatic trip to the ER. She tested negative for Covid and Strep so it was thankfully just a cold of some type. She needed to lay low for a few days, but by the end of the week she was feeling much better. One last minute curveball right before the end of treatment – I am not sure why we were even surprised since cancer throws so many curveballs.

Tuesday, May 11^th was a date that we had been looking forward to for so long. Brax had a big day at the hospital and it started out with the best surprise! We arrived at the hospital and were surprised by our TCT Fast Track family! Coaches, teammates, and parents (past and present), took time out of their busy lives to wish Brax luck and cheer her on as she walked into the hospital. It took away our nerves and left us with such a sense of joy and gratitude. Thank you so much Fast Track family for all of your support throughout Brax’s journey. A huge part of her positive mindset and hard work has always been to get back to being with this special group of girls and their amazing families. As much as we just wanted to hangout and catch up with everyone we knew we had to go inside and continue the big day. We went up to the Journey Clinic and Brax had a Covid test, her last port access, and her labs drawn. She received her lung meds and finally her last IV chemo. It was Vincristine – we have joked that after all of this particular chemo she should change her name to Braxton Vincristine Battaglia instead of Braxton Christine Battaglia (having a weird sense of humor does help to get you through this crazy journey). Next, we went down to pediatric sedation to prep for her last IT chemo and her port removal surgery. All went well and Brax had only one thing left to do – ring the bell! We went back up to Journey to ring the bell and Brax was even allowed to have some family join for the big moment. Brax was surprised that her NP Lexi was there for her bell ringing. She was not scheduled to be in clinic that day, but she was able to make it and this made Brax so happy. Many nurses and doctors were present for that moment and it was very special since they are such a huge part of your life while in treatment. Thank You Masonic family!

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May 28, 2021 – Brax’s last official day of treatment! Brax was surprised by a few gifts from Brylee and a fun yard sign that morning. That evening we were able to get most of the immediate Battaglia & Paulson family together, as well as her TCT Fast Track coaches. She even had a few friends stop by to say Congrats! It was the best feeling to gather around her and watch her take that final chemo pill! We are so thankful to be finished with therapy – time to get back to being a normal kid!

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Prayers for Bella, Casey, Megan, Jake, and Blake. We also want to send prayers, love, and hugs to our friends the Nordstrom family.

Thank you again for all the love, support, prayers and encouragement these past few years. Everyone has played a special part and we are forever grateful and thankful. We will continue to update this page (probably less frequently), but make sure to sign up for alerts so don’t have to check back.

Finally, we are continuing forward with Brax’s foundation, TB1Fund, which is focused on brightening days for patients and families at the University of MN Masonic Children’s Hospital. Brax knows how important staying positive is during treatment and some days are extremely hard, but having something to break up the day, be it an activity, an outing, a gift, something interactive or simply engaging (mentally and/or physically) makes a world of difference and TB1F will continue to work with patients and families to keep their spirits high! You can follow everything Brax and TB1Fund are doing at www.TB1Fund.org

We hope this update finds everyone doing well. It is hard to believe that we have all been living in a pandemic for over a year now. Things have gone fast and slow at the same time and the same has been true of Brax’s cancer journey. We are down to 45 days to go as we continue to inch closer to the finish line.

Back in January we decided to pause TB1F and turn our attention to helping our neighbor Bella and her twin sister Ava in their LLS campaign for Students of the Year. We are excited to inform you that not only did they win, but they set a record high for SOY with an amazing $233,000 to help put an end to blood cancer! We are so proud of them and their amazing team! Congratulations Team tWIN it for a CURE! Brax and her fellow cancer warrior friend Jake were the Honored Hero’s for the LLS Student of the Year campaign. Being able to share this experience with Jake, Bella, and so many friends and neighbors made the campaign extra special for Braxton.

Braxton and Brylee went up north to spend a weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Paulson and learn how to make maple syrup. They worked hard and learned a lot while they were up north and Brax was even able to do a writing assignment for school on everything she learned.

The University of Minnesota Women’s Gymnastics team asked Brax to be a Junior Captain at their Always Dreaming Cancer Awareness meet this year. Brax was able to share this honor with 2 of her friends and fellow gymnasts, Ella and Rissy. Due to Covid they were not allowed to attend in person, but the team had cardboard cutouts made of each girl that were displayed by the scoreboard. We have missed cheering on the team in person this year but have luckily been able to watch all the meets at home. There is something very special about this team and both Braxton and Brylee feel a great connection to them. We were all so excited to watch them win the Big Ten Championship this year! We can’t wait to continue to cheer them on at Nationals  – Go Gophers!

#BraxVsBate

Brax and former Gopher standout wide receiver Rashod Bateman teamed up by combining their love of gymnastics and football to support TB1F and Masonic Children’s Hospital. We all had so much fun when Rashod came to TCT to workout with Brax. We want to thank everyone for posting their handstands, 40-yard dashes, and donating to the #BraxVsBate campaign. A special thank you to all of our TCT family and their support of this project, to IFA for coordinating everything and to Cub & Filti for sponsoring the challenge. It was a full circle moment seeing so many TCT athletes – current & alumni – support Brax. When Brax was first diagnosed there was a massive outpouring of support from the gymnastic’s community. Everyone ranging from Team USA to NCAA to Club to High School sent her video well wishes, gifts, cards, etc. to encourage her to stay strong! This same community came together once again for her at the end of her treatment to show their support with handstands for a cause. This overwhelming support is one of the reasons why Brax wanted to create TB1F. She felt so blessed to have so much support during her fight and she was able to see that this is not the case for most pediatric cancer patients and she wanted to do something to help. Check out the video below if you haven’t seen it!

Some more fun news! Brax just released her new patient shirt, which is given to all new patients that are admitted to Masonic Children’s Hospital. The new shirts were just delivered and we are excited to be able to further our mission of brightening days for kids and families at the hospital. That has been and continues to be Brax’s focus/mission.

Brax had a fall on beam over a month ago that sent her to the hospital for x-rays since she was pretty sure she broke her toe. X-rays were good so she continued to rest, ice, buddy tape, and modify her  activity. After 3 weeks of no improvement we were back in for more x-rays and they were once again clear. Brax knows her body so well and we learned several years ago that when she says something is wrong, something really is wrong. We had an MRI on Monday and it turns out she does have a broken toe so she is now in a boot. She has less than 7 weeks left of treatment so hopefully she will be healed and 100% by that time so she can return to everything she has been missing over the last 2.5 years.

Brax is excited that planning and preparation for TB1F’s first family friendly event is underway. Putt Fore Patients was Brax’s idea last June and a year later it will come true thanks to BMW of Minnetonka and so many other amazing sponsors & partners. Brax wanted to create an event that the kids could attend and she has such a great day planned – mini golf, jump houses, DJ, food and ice cream trucks, side games, prizes, etc. This event will be held at BMW of Minnetonka on Sunday, June 13^th from 12:00-5:00. We want to sell this thing out. Tickets start at $35 and they are limited as we have to proactively plan for Covid restrictions being in place. It will be outside, which helps, so plan tocome out for a fun family friendly afternoon. Please visit www.tb1fund.org  for more information and to purchase tickets.

We hope everyone had a lovely Easter and was able to spend time with family and enjoy the beautiful day!

As we have asked from day 1, please continue to pray for Brax’s successful end of treatment and all of her warrior friends as well – Bella, Blake, Casey, Jake & Megan!

All TB1F Gear is currently 30% off with promo code: TB130 now until end of treatment on May 28th. Go grab some gear and show your support!

103 DAYS LEFT AS OF RIGHT NOW!! COUNTDOWN IS ON!!

We hope this update finds you and your family doing well. As mentioned in the previous post TB1F had dedicated the month of January to help our friend, neighbor, and fellow cancer warrior Bella and her twin sister Ava “tWin it For a Cure” in their Student of the Year Campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Big Thank You to all who supported!

January 2021 has been a busy one for the girls. They returned to Distance Learning after the holiday break and have both been working hard in the gym. January 17^th was a big day since both girls and their Fast Track teammates had a Mobility Meet at the gym. A Mobility Meet is when a judge comes to the gym and the athletes have an opportunity to score out of their current level. Two years ago when Brax was diagnosed with cancer she had just completed her Level 4 season of gymnastics and had started training her level 5 skills. This meet was 2 years in the making for Brax and was a roller coaster both physically and emotionally. Her passion for the sport and her determination to come back is truly inspiring. Two years of chemotherapy plus radiation and a pandemic could not stop this girl. We are very proud of both Braxton and Brylee for receiving their Level 5 score but more importantly we are so thankful that Braxton is healthy and strong enough to be back to doing what she loves so much! We can’t thank Coach Kim enough for her unwavering support! Brax has been blessed by an unbelievable team of support and we are so thankful for her TCT family, coaches, teammates, medical staff, Gopher coaches and athletes, friends, and family who have helped support her in so many different ways over the past 2 years. Brax was able to check off a BIG GOAL and now the work begins to start training for the next level.

Brax has just under 4 months of treatment remaining in her 2.5 year treatment plan. Our doctor told us on Day 1 that is was going to be a long journey and to think of it as training for the Olympics. We are getting closer to the finish line and we are getting so excited.

The girls have been having fun cheering on the Gopher Women’s Gymnastics Team. We of course wish that we could be cheering them on in the Pav in person but at least we are able to watch on TV. The girls were excited to receive team sweatshirts before the season started so they can cheer the team on in their team gear.

Brylee turned 9 on January 23^rd and requested that Brax make her an ice cream cake. This was Brax’s first go at an ice cream cake and it turned out great! Cookies and Cream with 9 Oreos on top – Brylee was so excited! Brylee has been the best sister throughout this whole process. It is crazy to think she had just turned 7 when Brax was diagnosed. She has had to sacrifice so much and gone through a lot at such a young age but has always been there to make us laugh and smile.

And finally, a couple housekeeping items. First, we have pushed back our big Champions Cup Fundraiser from April to August 6th. We are optimistic this new date will stick and we can hold a fun in-person event.

Also, we just added another a big FAMILY focused event that is scheduled to take place June 13th. More info to follow, but a graphic teaser below. This event will be fun for the whole family and we hope to raise some big money to help support U of MN Masonic patients and families. Brax truly enjoys and wants to continue to give back and we will continue to support her and her efforts as we know the tremendous impact it makes.

Please watch for an upcoming email in early March with all the details.

Thanks again to everyone for their continued support over the past 2 years and please continue to keep Brax and her circle of cancer buddies in your prayers (Bella, Casey, Megan, Jake & Blake). Megan had clean scans today as well – so happy for her and her family!

Hey everyone! We hope everyone is well and was able to celebrate Christmas and New Years with family and loved ones.

We are going to put a pause on Brax and TB1Fund for January and focus our attention on our good friend and and neighbor, Bella, who was initially diagnosed with cancer shortly before Braxton at the end of 2018 and is still fighting her extremely rare type of blood cancer for the 3rd time!

Bella, her twin sister Ava, and their Team, tWIN it for a CURE are just starting their 7-week fundraising kickoff for the LLS’s Student of the Year Campaign. We know many people that follow/support Brax and TB1Fund know that our mission is immediate impact items/day brighteners for kids and families going through the cancer diagnosis and treatment. The LLS’s mission is focused on research and development with the end goal of BEATING Blood Cancer.

This is a very focused and time sensitive campaign running for 7 weeks. Here is a little more info shared by Bella’s mom Marla on Facebook.

Please watch the video below for some more info on Bella, her journey, and tWIN if for a CURE’s goal for this 7-Week Campaign. There are many ways to get involved, be it eating at Chipotle-Blaine on Tuesday, January 12th (tomorrow or today depending on when reading this), buying LLS Game Cards, or simply making a cash donation to the Team’s page – everything adds up and will make a big difference in Bella’s fundraising goal.

The first “community” event will be tomorrow, Tuesday 1/12 @ Chipotle in Blaine from 5-9PM. See the flyer below. Burrito Tuesday? 33% of all proceeds will go to tWIN if for a CURE’s fundraising. Easy way to grab dinner and DO GOOD!

Burritos, not your thing? Maybe you like the thrill of “game” We have you covered! LLS Game cards are avail NOW! Make a cash donation and get your game cards now! For more info please visit the link below. Nice work Evelyn!

https://www.llsgamecard.com/

Or, maybe, you just are the traditional donor Rock Star who simply wants make a cash donation. If so, please visit Bella’s site.

www.tinyurl.com/BellaAndAva2021

Whatever you choose, we appreciate your support of our good friend Bella and her amazing family.

Nothing about cancer is easy, but having friends and family who support you unconditionally is like no other. We have experienced this personally over the last 2 years and in keeping with our commitment to get involved, stay involved, and make a positive difference in the lives of families going through cancer continues to be Brax’s mission.

And as always, please continue to keep Brax, Bella, Blake, Casey, Megan & Jake in your prayers! We have a close connection with this circle and we will win! We Got This!

First, we hope everyone reading this is doing well and staying healthy! Hopefully we can get back to normal very soon. We look forward to seeing everyone in person again – it’s been too long! Quick update on Brax below….

Both Brax and Bry were asked to model again this year for the Masonic Children’s Hospital Fashion Fest. The entire family had an absolute blast at this event in 2019, but due to Covid this year it was held virtually. The girls were asked to come in a few weeks before the actual event on December 4^th to model for UNRL. This year UNRL featured their clothing lines that help to benefit Masonic Children’s Hospital, so the girls were able to wear gear from the TB1F merchandise. They had so much fun at the recording and were also featured in the same segment with Rocket the Therapy Dog and his handler Anna from Masonic. The girls both love dogs and Rocket is as sweet as they come. They were honored to represent UNRL, TB1F, and Masonic all in one night to benefit patient and family programming at the hospital.

In other news, the regional chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society reached out to Brax and asked if she would create some artwork for their 2020 Supporter and Donor Thank You’s.  She decided to create a butterfly (symbol of childhood cancer) with orange (leukemia) and green (lymphoma) colors to represent blood cancer. Brax likes to draw so this was a fun little project for her.

The Flippin’ 5K in November was a huge success. Due to Covid we were already reducing our in-person registration and just days before the official, Gov. Walz announced closures that forced us to go 100% virtual. Nonetheless, everyone stepped up and things turned out great! We want to thank everyone who participated and helped to raise over $11,000 this year! We had people participate from all over the Twin Cities and as far as Boston to Phoenix. We look forward to holding this event again next year in person. Thanks for the continued support of Brax’s mission to help other patients and families at Masonic Children’s Hospital.

Brax turned 11 on November 25^th and we can’t help but wonder where the time has gone. Even with everything we have faced dealing with cancer and Covid time continues to go by quickly. She likes to remind us she is a “tween” now and is excited to be a teenager in less than 2 years…hahaha! Her birthday was low key of course and she did not feel great since she had treatment the day before. She had a lumbar puncture with chemo at that appointment and the nurses in sedation surprised her with a balloon and sign to wish her happy birthday. Brax received several gifts and well wishes from close friends and family and it made her day. Next year we are hoping to have cancer and Covid behind us and throw her a big birthday celebration since she has not been able to have a party the last two years.

We hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was of course quiet, but we are a football and food family so we were happy to relax, eat, and watch football all day. We are not sure what Christmas will look like this year for our family, but if we can all stay healthy we will consider it a success. We often think of all the poor kids who have to spend the holidays at the hospital. This year will be extra difficult, so Brax wanted to do something extra special. TB1F partnered with Integrity Global Solutions (Dan’s company) and BMW of Minnetonka to help deliver some extra joy this ‘weird’ holiday season. We donated 25 Nintendo Switch Lites and 25 Amazon Fire Kid’s Tablets in December to help brighten the days of kids in the hospital during the holidays. Brax knows firsthand after 97 days in the hospital that having something to do and being distracted really helps to pass the time. Both of these items are handheld and can be used while in your hospital bed if needed.

We want to  wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday season!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year – 2021 – we can’t wait!

Please make sure to check out www.TB1Fund.org and see what Brax’s Foundation is up too! We are constantly looking at ways to help kids and families at Masonic and with everyone’s help and support we are making an impact! Thank You!

It is hard to believe that Halloween has already and past and we are on to Thanksgiving season! School and gym are going well for Brax and we are thankful that we all continue to stay safe and healthy. Grandpa Dave celebrated a milestone 70th birthday this fall and Brax wanted to make him a special cake. Grandpa Dave loves golf and also loves that Brax and Bry enjoy golfing so she decided it was a no-brainer to go with a golf cake.

We were surprised with a fall snowstorm in October – classic 2020 I guess. Our family would prefer the snow not arrive until right before Christmas, but the girls still took advantage of it and had fun playing after they wrapped school and practice for the day.

Our family had a great Halloween considering Brax was on steroids and of course Covid restrictions. Last year she felt miserable and was starting to develop severe mouth sores, so this year, even though she didn’t feel very good from the steroids and the annual neighborhood party was canceled, we still had fun. The Overton’s hosted a small Halloween party for our family and Grandpa Dave & Grandma Judy. Brax was in charge of desserts and Brylee was in charge of the party games and costume contest. All of the food was delicious and we had a fun & warm Halloween.

Finally, Twin City Twisters will be hosting the 2nd Annual Flippin’ 5K for TB1Fund on Saturday, November 21st. Due to Covid and having TeamBrax members spread across the state and country there will also be a virtual option this year. A huge thank you to TCT and Kim/Lisa in advance for planning and hosting the event. The money raised will of course go further Brax’s mission of brightening days for patients and families at Masonic Children’s Hospital.

Please visit/call Twin City Twisters or visit www.tb1fund.org for more information and/or register. All registered participants will receive the 2020 5K shirt below by our friends at UNRL and a participation medal. Thanks for your continued support of Brax and her mission.

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It’s hard to believe that Brax is already in 5^th Grade. Brax was diagnosed halfway through 3^rd grade and due to her intense treatment protocol was unable to return to school for the remainder of the school year. She was set to return to school for the 3^rd trimester of her 4^th grade year but due to Covid, school did not resume in-person classes that year. Brax was really looking forward to starting school this year in-person – new school/fresh start – but we opted for Extended Flexible Learning for both girls to start the year. With all the unknowns we figured this would be the safest and best option for our family. School is off to a good start for both girls and we are fortunate that they both have great teachers.

Brax had an unexpected visit to Masonic this month and we are happy to report it was not a fever or even cancer related. Long story short she hit her mouth on the strap bar at the gym while warming up giants. Total freak accident but a more normal thing in the sport of gymnastics. Luckily her platelets have been consistently good or else it could have been a very scary situation. We called the on-call fellow to see what we should do and sent her a few photos. By the time she called us back Brax was already back out on the floor practicing. She said if she wanted she could finish her workout but they did want her to come in to the ER (because it was a Sunday morning) to be evaluated after practice. She ended up getting just one stitch and some antibiotic cream. It was pretty swollen but she was happy to just have a “normal” kid injury and to not have a cancer issue at the hospital.

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#ChalkforMasonic

In honor of September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Caribou Coffee decided to donate money to Masonic for cancer research for every chalk message posted on Instagram. Brax decided she wanted to participate in the challenge and decided to create a butterfly (childhood cancer symbol) with a gold ribbon as its body (gold ribbon signifies childhood cancer awareness) Her chalk art was actually picked to be featured on the post to announce Caribou Coffee’s $5K donation to the hospital.  

A few weeks ago we received a call from Rashod Bateman’s agent. Bate was a star wide receiver for the  Gopher football program for the past 2 years. Since the Big Ten cancelled their football season he decided to forgo his junior season and sign with an agent to prepare for the NFL draft. Rashod wanted  to meet Brax and to gift her with a game worn helmet of his from last season. He told her that he was inspired by the speech she gave the team before the Outback Bowl and wanted to give her the helmet. Brax was honored to receive this special gift and be able to get to know him better. We wish him the best of luck this spring in the NFL draft but rumor has it that now that Big Ten football is back he wants to try to play football for the Gophers  for one more season. We are so excited to watch such a kind and  talented young man play football soon whether it be in college or the NFL.

*****CONFIRMED***** BATE IS BACK!!! GO GOPHERS, SKI-U-MAH!

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And finally, to wrap up, we want to personally thank everyone who has followed and supported Brax these last 20+ months. We officially wrapped up year #1 of Brax’s foundation, TB1Fund, and had an amazing first year. We raised over $110K (HUGE!), which is used specifically to brighten the days of patients and families at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. It was so important for Brax to stay mentally strong during treatment and that is half the battle for kids and families. It’s easy to get down and discouraged, if not by the diagnosis and treatment alone, the daily grind of being in the hospital and away from home, family, friends and activities. Being able to provide toys, gift cards, hospitality days and spontaneous surprises to patients and their families and keep their mind off treatment, mentally strong and positively encouraged is worth more than anyone knows. With your support we were able to make that happen and look forward to continuing our mission.

Please check out our year end Newsletter (click here) and, if you are able to help in any capacity (donations, sponsorship, volunteering, etc), it is greatly appreciated and truly making an impact. We have a very specific project we are working on with the hospital and hopeful we can make it a reality and will share more info as it advances.

To help today, please visit www.TB1Fund.org

Thank You to all of our 2019-20 sponsors & partners who stepped up BIG TIME to help get this off the ground! And Thank You to all of sponsors & partners who continue to support us and who have have joined forces with TB1Fund for our Year#2 Kickoff!

• Integrity Global Solutions
• Brian Lindstrom – Lake Area Mortgage
• Split Rock Trading
• Park Valley Young Insurance
• Matrix NDI
• Lake Country Power
• Twin City Twisters
• BMW of Minnetonka
• Hanson Builders
• North Pine Aggregate
• Premier Banks
• All American Roofing & Restoration
• Chris’s Food Center
• Goodin Company
• Urban Adventure
• Row the Boat
• UNRL
• Dunkin’
• Athletes for MN Kids
• Interlog USA
• 3MOpen
• Alta Technologies

It is hard to believe that we are already a few days into September. Even with Covid/Cancer the summer still flew by like normal. We have talked about putting in a sport court for several years and decided that this was the year to pull the trigger. The girls have enjoyed getting out on the court pretty much daily. Two of their favorites are shooting hoops and playing pickle ball. Both Brax & Bry have expressed interest in wanting to get into golf. We have tried to get them out at least once a week over the last month or so and they both really like it. The girls continue to get to the gym to practice gymnastics.

The July Toy Drive was a great success! Toys are being distributed at the hospital and at Brax’s last appointment several of the staff at Masonic commented on how they are helping to brighten the day for many patients. This would not have been possible without the help from all of you and the collaboration with BMW of Minnetonka and we can’t that you all enough for the continued support. In addition, TB1Fund partnered with BMW for their “Drive On” event in which BMW of Minnetonka donated $1000.00 to the fund!

TB1F also received a special donation from some of Brax’s neighborhood friends. Evelyn and Andie did a friendship bracelet fundraiser and split the money between saving the Red Pandas and TB1F. It just shows how people of any age can make a difference. They inspire us with their hard work, big hearts, creativity and generosity. Thanks girls!

TB1F is going GOLD this month for Childhood Cancer Awareness. In addition to the new merchandise already on the website we have added a special shirt to help promote Childhood Cancer Awareness during the month of September. They say childhood cancer is rare and that is why there is such a lack of funding – we disagree since we have so many friends that are at different stages of their childhood cancer journey. Please join us in Going Gold this month!

Also, now thru September 7th, TB1Fund is giving away 7 FREE shirts, chosen by random drawing. To be eligible, please check out the details via any of Brax’s social media sites.

Instagram:  @teambrax1

Twitter: @TeamBrax1

Facebook: @TB1Fund

Shirts are also avail for purchase during the month of September only.  Grab one today and help spread awareness and show your support for all kids battling childhood cancer!

www.TB1Fund.org/merch

****PROMO CODE: TB130 for 30% off any TB1Fund gear (use during checkout)

Things continue to go well overall for Brax and she is halfway through her final phase of treatment Maintenance (18 months) She has 8 rounds left to go and we continue to move closer to the finish line of this marathon. We wish everyone a healthy and smooth start to the school year even though things will look very different for most people.

Finally, we are approaching our 1 year anniversary of launching TB1Fund at the end of this month. Be on the look out for some Year 1 updates and our annual appeal to raise some money! We will have new donor swag this year to entice you 🙂

Year 1 was incredible thanks to you all and we are looking to build on it this coming year and continue helping others through their cancer journey.

First, we hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy! We haven’t posted much in the last couple of months and will get everyone caught up!

Today marks the 300 day countdown until end of treatment for Brax. 554 days down, 300 to go….we are heading the right direction. Brylee wanted to do something special and threw together a great little 300 Day Party today for Brax and it was SPECIAL! Bry has a huge heart and whether or not Brax will admit it, Bry has been a huge part of Brax’s recovery (physical, mental, and emotional). Quite the duo!

Brax is feeling really good and things are continuing to move in the right direction. In general, Maintenance has gone pretty smoothly and besides the 1 week a month she has treatment, she feels really good the remaining 3 weeks. We will take it!

We head back this Tuesday for another round of treatment and blood work.

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Besides the normal kid stuff, Brax has been busy during her “good” 3 weeks. She has spent a lot of time with her new cousin Max, trying to see him at least a couple times per week. She love babies (and is very good with them).

We also celebrated Bry’s 1st Communion in June. Due to COVID and all the limitations, we were finally able to get this in.

Brax has been busy with gymnastics and is back to the gym 3 times per week with her coach Kim. We are still taking precautions, so as much as she’d like to be back with the Team, she and Bry are practicing together due to her being more compromised.

She has also been able to get out the “farm” to ride some horses, which she has really enjoyed doing. She has had the chance to ride a couple different horses these last 2 months. Below are pictures of Buck (left) and Doc (right)!

4th of July this year was probably our best in the last couple years…..hard to believe a Covid 4th could be better than anything, but with Brax finally feeling well and being able to spend time with family for some extended time was awesome! Last summer we were right in the middle of intense treatment and the summer before we were dealing with arthritis (or what was diagnosed as arthritis, but possibly early onset leukemia).

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A few weeks ago, the girls were able to have their end of season formal gymnastics banquet too. The program was great and it was nice to see a lot of the kids and families we have not seen in months. Thanks again to Jen for putting that together and the great photos of the girls. Brax’s photo from the event below….turned out great!

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Brax has met many new friends in the cancer circle and a couple weeks ago we were able to catch one of Jake’s baseball games. He’s doing awesome and will be done with treatment a couple months before Brax. It makes the heart happy to see these kids outside the hospital and doing well……being “kids”.

And last week Brax was able to take in a few events at the 3M Open. It was a much different experience this year, but it was still a blast to get out and see some golf. Matthew Wolff (last year’s Champ) even took some time on Hole 13 to come over and chat with Brax and gave her a signed ball. Thanks Ryan!

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In other news, thank you to everyone who contributed to Brax’s July Toy Drive with BMW in support of the Masonic Children’s Hospital. We had a great response and will post pictures this coming week. Thanks to BMW as well for partnering with us and for being the toy drop location. We hope to make this a yearly event, due to the success we had this year and for the need it fills at Masonic.

Also, TB1Fund (Brax’s nonprofit) has done incredibly well this year thanks to everyone’s support and we hope that continues. In partnership with UNRL, Brax has released some new items on the store and more will be coming later this summer/fall. Please check it out at www.TB1Fund.org/Merch Use the discount/promo code TB130 for 30% off any of your TB1F gear.

Finally, we wish everyone a happy and healthy end of the summer and back to school (however that may look for each of you). We continue to ask for your prayers over these last 300 days and please also include Brax’s other good buddies going thru treatment as well, especially Bella, Megan and Jake.