Cory Wiederin is playing catch with his kids every day for a year while he goes through kidney cancer treatments.
ANKENY – Cory Wiederin, along with his two sons, 12-year-old Kellen and 7-year-old Beckett, are in the front yard of the family’s Ankeny home on a June morning playing catch.
Cory, who is in the driveway, fires a throw to Kellen, who is in the grass, a few feet away from his brother.
“I think our record is about 130 without hitting the ground,” Cory Wiederin said.
That’s a lot of throws. But that’s also to be expected. The three have been on a mission to play catch every single day. The plan, which started back in March, was inspired after Wiederin was diagnosed with kidney cancer. The goal is for him to get at least 20 throws to both his boys for the session to truly count.
“We don’t take any days off out there and enjoy every throw because you never know,” Wiederin said.
He is soaking up every throw of every session with his boys during what has become a tough time for his family. The 43-year-old discovered in March of 2024 that he had succinate dehydrogenase-deficient non-clear cell renal carcinoma, subtype B, a rare type of kidney cancer.
Wiederin got the idea to play catch every day from John Scukanec, a baseball fan who traveled the country playing catch with different people with the hope of getting a round in every day for 365 days. Wiederin, an avid baseball fan, was looking to do something with his two boys while he went through his treatments.
He figured playing catch was the perfect type of distraction for all of them. So, on March 25, they began their quest of playing catch every day for a year. The daily catches are something Wiederin, his boys and his wife, Brittany, look forward to.
"You're not thinking about a trip to Mayo, you're not thinking about your next CT scan, you're not thinking about your side effects of your medicines," he said. "You're just out there smiling, having a conversation and talking about their day."
The sessions usually happen in the front yard of their house. But they've had to make adjustments. One day, after a long trip to the Mayo Clinic, the family didn't get home until around 9 p.m. Still needing to get a catch in, Wiederin and the boys ran outside and tossed the ball around under a streetlight.
Another time, they ventured outside in their suits before attending a gala event. During Easter weekend, they braved the rain and the cold outside. Even during treatments, Wiederin and the boys tossed the ball around the campus of Mayo. They also got in a catch in the subway level of the building due to tornado warnings.
"Instead of saying, 'Hey boys, you have to go play catch, yet,' it's 'Hey boys, we get to go play catch,' like, 'Hey, don't forget we get to go play catch yet tonight,'" Brittany said.
They have gotten to do some pretty fun things. Wiederin threw out a first pitch to both his sons before an Ankeny High School baseball game. In between games of a doubleheader, they got in a catch. They rented the house at the "Field of Dreams" movie site in Dyersville and played catch on the iconic diamond.
The highlight of the experience may come later this summer when Wiederin will throw out a first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game. The opportunity came when Brittany emailed the team and explained their story. The Cubs were more than willing to give him a shot to come to the Friendly Confines.
Getting the chance to play catch, regardless of where it's at, has been the most important thing. Wiederin, who is a part of clinical trials, gets infusions every two weeks. The medicines have dampened his energy, weakened him and even made him sick at times. Still, he gets out and throws with his kids.
"It forced me to get up and go enjoy things outside, even though I wasn't feeling great," he said. "But it's something I definitely look forward to."
Wiederin is hoping for the best. Because the cancer is so rare, doctors don't know what the future holds for him. But he's making the most of the opportunity and his wife encourages others to as well.
"Find their catch, whatever their catch is, figure it out and take the time to do something with the kids in the moment," Brittany said.
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at [email protected] or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ankeny father playing catch with kids daily during battle with cancer
Category: General Sports
