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Prior Lake girl who died from cancer honored at Twins game
Dave Shepard carried a banner with his daughter’s picture on it, as he walked with his family during the Minnesota Softball Parade of Champions at the Twins game.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins welcomed dozens of 10U softball teams for their parade of champions event at Target Field.
The champs got to walk around the diamond and be recognized in front of thousands of fans. However, not every champion was physically on the field.
“I wish she was here; I’d much rather being carrying her than this, but she’s here with us,” said Dave Shepard talking about his 9-year-old daughter Addy, who died on July 1.
Dave, Angie and their son Jaxson walked for their daughter Addy, Jaxson’s twin. Addy was a pitcher for the Prior Lake 10 U softball team. She was diagnosed with Leukemia in June and died just a few days later.
“We went to St. Francis Thursday morning for a bloody nose, and they did some bloodwork, and they said ‘well, her blood numbers are really bad. She’s got a really high white [blood cell] count, a really low platelet count, which is why the bloody nose wouldn’t go away and at the time it’s either a really bad infection or she has leukemia,” he said.
It was an unexpected diagnosis. Her mother Angie said she didn’t have any symptoms leading up to their hospital visit.
“She was watching a TV show on her iPad, and she had no fear because we’re just going to the hospital, and her in mind she had a bloody nose,” Angie said. “She had no fever, she was eating, she was drinking.”
Her parents said she had a foot injury that kept her out of the circle for several games. Angie said they first saw a doctor in the beginning of May.
“We just thought it was a sports injury, so we had x-rays, and then it got better, and she was playing again. Then June 6, we went back into Tria, and they saw a difference between May and June, so thought that maybe there was a stress fracture, so they put her in the boot at that point and time. We found out later that the leukemia had infected her bones and that’s why she was sore,” she said.
After she was admitted to the hospital in late June, Addy was placed on life support within days. At the same time, her team was competing in the championship game without their pitcher and head coach, Dave.
“We were there, were in the hospital during the state tournament and watching, and she at that point was on life support, so we just told her play-by-play, who was hitting, who was pitching, who got out,” her parents said. “The girls played their hearts out that weekend.”
And they did it all for Addy.
“[Addy] was there, oh yeah, absolutely, for sure, I mean they had the motivation, the desire, pulling everybody together is always hard to do on any team, but they all had a focus of winning for Addy,” Angie said.
It’s still hard to believe how fast it all went.
“To go from a bloody nose and a foot injury to death, four days later, it’s scary for every parent,” Angie said.
Her family remembers her for her infectious spirit.
“I had no idea the lengths of people she touched,” Angie said. “She made everybody feel special and when she was with them. They were her focus.”
Dave said coaching his daughter was challenging because the line between coach and dad was thin, but they were moments he’ll cherish forever.
“It was a lot of fun, we had a lot of fun,” he said. “I coach because you have an opportunity to give these kids a light, you have an opportunity to teach them it’s more than just yourself.”
It’s a lesson that has sunk in with his team. Addy’s teammates wore purple ribbons, her favorite color, with her name and jersey number, No. 28, painted on. Showing up for Addy’s family, like they show up for each other at games.
“Team sports do a great job at getting kids to show up for each other,” Dave said.
Her family wants to create something in her honor and are in talks with a few organizations.
“We’re going to make change; we have to because Addy has touched so many people,” Angie said.
The Twins created a one-of-a-kind jersey for Addy that had her last name and jersey number on the back. Her twin brother, Jaxson, got to throw out the first pitch at the game, after they played her favorite song.
Addy’s family along with several of her teammates got to watch the game from one of the suites as Addy watched the game from above the clouds.
MINNEAPOLIS — How much do you know about your grandma’s upbringing?
“The Stories From My Grandmother’s Hands” is a book that aims to show young Black children how their grandmas lived through beautiful illustrations and descriptions.
KARE 11 News at Noon shared more on Thursday about the impact that this book will have.
Gary Peterson and his friends are collecting donations to help people in their community.
ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — A St. Louis Park pumpkin display is raising money for their local food shelf.
Gary Peterson started carving and painting three pumpkins over a decade ago. It’s now grown to over 100.
“I’ve heard people say they’ve come from Hutchinson,” he said.
Peterson along with two of his neighbors have spent the last 14 years growing their display, turning it into a neighborhood event.
“It’s been incredible, I just can’t believe how much this has expanded,” he said. “We did it just because we like to and then people were asking to give us money to cover the cost.”
The trio refused to take people’s money, but then one of them had an idea.
“My neighbor, Steve Leensvaart, just mentioned how about we just do it for the STEP program and the STEP program is our local food shelf in St. Louis Park,” he said.
So, they started to collect donations to help families in need. They’ve raised hundreds of dollars and donated hundreds of pounds of food over the last few years, carving for a cause.
“It is more gratifying every year,” Peterson said.
He estimated they have over 100 unique pumpkins in their yard. They’ve created the displays and come up with new family-friendly concepts for people to enjoy. Peterson said about 30 of their neighbors carved their own pumpkins to be put on display, and it’s been a big hit.
“It’s great. In the last couple of years, it’s turned into more of a neighborhood event,” said Sarah Durch.
“We love this Halloween display, we come every year to see it. We love that the whole community gets involved to craft and carve the pumpkins,” said Jami Gordon-Smith.
“The shading and the details are unbelievable,” said Elizabeth Hanson.
Hanson hopes to take her 2-year-old son trick or treating for the first time but is worried the cold temperatures might keep them indoors.
“We’re going trick or treating hopefully,” she said. “He’s going to be a firefighter, but we’re probably going to have sweatshirts maybe like two pairs of sweatpants underneath. We’re going to be bundled up.”
Gordon-Smith said her family will be out Halloween night no matter the weather.
“Halloween only comes once a year, so you really have to take advantage and enjoy the evening no matter what the weather brings,” she said. “Guess it’s not totally unheard of in Minnesota to have a cold Halloween, but we are going to try and modify and do a lot of layers underneath our costumes and then we might add some hats and maybe some warmer socks.”
Durch also isn’t surprised they’re in for another chilly night.
“Well, what would Halloween be without Minnesota cold? I feel like every time you plan a costume you have to plan for how you can make this work if it’s snowing,” she said.
Peterson said they will have a bonfire and some hot chocolate and cider on Halloween to keep trick-or-treaters warm while they look at their pumpkins.
Click here to learn where you can see the pumpkins and how you can donate.
Jeremy Jourdain was 17 when he was last seen on Halloween 2016.
BEMIDJI, Minn. — The search for Jeremy Jourdain, who was last seen on Halloween in 2016, continues now eight years later.
Jourdain was last seen at a family member’s house in Bemidji, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs. He left the residence near the 500 block of Wood Avenue after midnight and while people followed him, no one was able to find him.
Jourdain was 17 at the time.
Officials said he was wearing a blue and grey sweatshirt, and blue jeans when last seen. He is Native American and is described as 6 foot 5 and 175 pounds.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, you can contact the Bemidji Police Department at (218) 333-9111. Tips can also be sent to 1-833-560-2065, or you can email ojs_mmu@bia.gov.
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