About Us

reed fry story

On April 13, 2019, what started as a completely normal Saturday at the baseball field for our family quickly changed our lives forever.

Reed ended up in the emergency room with what we thought might be a concussion or a migraine. A CT scan revealed a large tumor on the back of his brain.

He was admitted to the PICU at OSF in Peoria, and within days, he underwent his first brain surgery. When Reed woke up, he couldn't walk, talk, use the right side of his body, or see.

For weeks, we had no idea what his future would look like.

We soon learned that the tumor was a type of brain cancer called medulloblastoma. We also learned that the cancer had spread to another spot on his brain. Because of where that tumor was located, it could not be surgically removed.

Over the next few weeks, Reed remained in the PICU and underwent three more brain surgeries.

On May 7, 2019, he was transported by ambulance to St. Jude in Memphis, where his next chapter began. His treatment consisted of 30 rounds of proton radiation and seven cycles of chemotherapy. He faced all of it with a strength and positivity that amazed everyone around him. While Reed and I lived in Memphis for treatment, my husband stayed home in Mackinaw with our other children. It was one of the hardest seasons our family has ever faced.

Reed also spent countless hours in physical, occupational and speech therapy—three times a week for each. He spent much of that year in a wheelchair, then a walker, and eventually on arm crutches. He had to learn how to walk all over again.

On March 20, 2020, Reed finished treatment and was finally able to come home to Mackinaw. Although treatment was over, the journey wasn't. He continued to struggle with balance and needed weekly therapy.

On March 31, 2022, during a routine St. Jude scan, our world was turned upside down again. Two new spots were found on Reed's brain. His cancer had returned. He had to start treatment all over again, this time receiving chemotherapy every 15 days at the St. Jude Affiliate in Peoria so he could remain home with his family.

And here we are, four years later, and Reed continues to fight this relapse. Four years of treatments, scans, setbacks, strength, hope, and countless prayers. Through it all, he continues to show us what true courage looks like.

August 2026, Reed is getting ready to start a new clinical trial—another chapter in this fight and another opportunity to keep moving forward. He has been fighting this disease for more than seven years, and he continues to inspire us every single day.

But one of the most amazing things about Reed has never been the way he has fought for himself. Through every surgery, every treatment, every setback and every difficult day, Reed has always been more worried about other people than he has been about himself. He has always wanted to know how others are doing, how he can help, and what he can do to make someone else's journey a little easier.

That heart is exactly how Team Reed Foundation was born. Reed wanted to help other children and families who were going through what he was going through.

Instead of focusing on everything cancer had taken from him, he wanted to use his experience to help others.

🩶That is who Reed is.🩶

Reed is still fighting. Still standing. Still hoping. Still believing. And still thinking about everyone else along the way.

_________ 🩶 _________

While most kids would have every reason to ask, "Why me?", Reed asked,

"How can I help?"

That simple question became the inspiration for the Team Reed Foundation.

And it's the reason thousands of players, families, sponsors, and volunteers come together each year.

This is why we play.

Join Us.

TEAM REED FOUNDATION

While our Jamboree event is lighthearted and wacky, our foundation is serious business. The Team Reed Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Mackinaw, Illinois, dedicated to supporting Reed's passion for giving back to families impacted by childhood cancer.

Many incredible organizations help families fight cancer by funding research, covering medical expenses, connecting patients with specialists, and supporting treatment. Their work is critical.

But cancer is relentless.

It does not stop with a diganosis,

It does not affect only the child.

Cancer tears through the very fabric of a family's life, unraveling routines, straining relationships, creating financial hardship, and stealing moments that can never be replaced. It shakes the foundation of a household and tests the emotional, financial, and physical strength of everyone it touches.

While other organizations focus on helping families battle the disease, the Team Reed Foundation exists to help families live through it.

Take a moment and put yourself in the shoes of one of these families. Imagine doing everything possible to care for your child while balancing work, bills, appointments, and the overwhelming emotional weight that comes with hearing the words no parent should ever have to hear.

Imagine wanting to provide normal moments for your family but simply not having the financial or emotional means to do so. Imagine living with uncertainty every day and not even knowing how to ask for help. It is impossible to comprehend that burden unless you have lived it yourself.

Now imagine your community stepping up to the plate during your weakest moment.

This is what we do.

That is where we make a difference.

This is how YOU can make a difference.

Our Mission:

Help Families Reclaim a Piece of Normal Life.

We step into the gaps cancer leaves behind, helping restore a sense of normalcy and giving families opportunities to simply be a family again. Whether that's helping with a mortgage payment, covering a car payment, creating an opportunity for a family vacation, or simply easing financial stress during an incredibly difficult season, we trust families to use that support in the way that matters most to them.

"Sometimes the greatest gift is giving a family an opportunity to feel like a family again, even if only for a moment."

TEAM REED JAMBOREE

The Team Reed Jamboree (TRJ) serves as the Foundation's primary fundraising event, helping to provide support, encouragement, and hope to families facing one of life's toughest challenges.

Every season, coaches remind their players that baseball and softball are more than just games. The Team Reed Jamboree is living proof of that. We play for kids who can't play themselves, for their siblings, for their parents, and for families facing challenges most of us will never truly understand.

For one weekend, the Team Reed Jamboree sets aside the heavy weight of cancer and replaces it with laughter, memories, friendship, and joy. Together, we create experiences that remind families they are not alone and bring light to those who need it most.

Sometimes the biggest victories happen beyond the scoreboard.

team reed warriors

At the heart of every TRJ Event is a warrior.

Each year, we dedicate the Team Reed Jamboree to warriors whose journeys remind us what #weB4me truly means: a community coming together to support one another.