08/10/2026
✨ Friday night, several hundred guests joined us for the fourth annual Hudson Strong Foundation Gala, and once again, the evening went by in the blink of an eye. Our only wish is that we could have had more time to personally thank every single person who showed up, supported us, and helped make this night possible.
This event is so much more than one evening. It is a reminder of why we started Hudson Strong, how far this foundation has come, and just how incredible the community surrounding pediatric cancer families truly is.
One of the most meaningful moments of the evening was welcoming Julia Albrecht from the University of Iowa Center for Advancement and announcing our next $80,000 pledge to University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
💛 $40,000 will go directly to the Hudson Strong Family Fund, continuing to provide support to pediatric cancer families during some of the most difficult days of their lives.
💛 $40,000 will support the research of Dr. Jessica Zimmerman, an outstanding pediatric oncologist and physician-scientist dedicated to improving treatment for children with leukemia. She’s now Hudson’s oncologist. Her research focuses on understanding why lifesaving treatments—especially steroids—can cause significant and lasting side effects, and how those treatments can be made safer for the children who will face cancer in the future.
This is exactly what we want Hudson Strong to represent: helping the families fighting today while working toward a better tomorrow for the children diagnosed next.
We were also honored to hear from Alex Burkamper of ImpactLife, who spoke about the lifesaving importance of blood donation. Alex has played an incredible role not only in our community, but in our family’s journey. He has helped us share Hudson’s story and show people the very real impact blood and platelet donors have on patients and families like ours. Blood donation helped save Hudson’s life, and continuing to advocate for donors will always be an important part of our mission.
Then came three nurses who hold an incredibly special place in our hearts: Lyndsey, Dana and Andrea.
They were vital parts of Hudson’s journey and shared pediatric cancer from a perspective that few people ever get to hear. They talked about Hudson’s diagnosis day, the realities of caring for children with cancer, and the ways donations directly impact patients and families.
Hearing them talk about watching Hudson—and even Violet—grow up brought us right back to those hospital rooms and reminded us just how long these incredible women have been part of our lives. Their speeches were powerful, emotional, and unforgettable. We will never be able to adequately thank them for caring for our son when we needed them most, or for standing beside us again Friday night.
And then came a moment we will cherish forever.
Our final speaker was Hudson himself. 💛
At nine years old, Hudson stood in front of a room filled with hundreds of people and told his own story.
He blew us away.
Hudson is the one who walked through hell and came out the other side. He continues to show us what it means to be strong, resilient, compassionate and forgiving. He endured more pain, fear and trauma in his first few years of life than most people will experience in a lifetime.
As his parents, we can tell you what pediatric cancer looks like from our perspective. We can talk about the fear, uncertainty, long nights in the hospital and the effects that can continue long after treatment ends.
But Friday night, our guests had the opportunity to hear from someone who lived it.
Watching Hudson stand there with confidence and courage, sharing some of the hardest parts of his life because he wants to help other kids with cancer, is something we will never forget. There truly aren’t words to describe how proud we are of the young man he is becoming.
Finally, thank you.
Thank you to every sponsor who believed in our mission.
Thank you to every business and individual who donated an auction item, experience, service or gift.
Thank you to every volunteer who gave their time to make the evening possible.
Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket, bid in the auction, played a game, bought a bottle of wine, made a monetary donation, donated blood, shared our posts or simply told someone about Hudson Strong.
And thank you to the several hundred people who chose to spend their Friday night with us.
Every dollar raised and every person who supports this foundation allows us to keep doing what we promised we would do when Hudson finished treatment: turn one family’s experience with pediatric cancer into something that makes the road a little easier for the families who come after us.
We started Hudson Strong because one little boy fought cancer.
Four years later, an entire community continues to fight alongside us.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for believing in Hudson Strong. Thank you for believing in our mission. And most importantly, thank you for helping us continue to fight for kids with cancer and the families standing beside them.🎗️
Because of all of you, over $75,000 was raised for pediatric cancer. 🎗️💛
