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Dad and sons play catch to 'Handle Hard Better'

ITS A NORMAL SUMMER EVENING AT THE ANKENY BASEBALL FIELD. BUT FOR CORY WIEDERIN, THIS NIGHT MEANS SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE. SOT: 'JUST WAKE UP AND STAY POSITIVE.' CORY GETS TO THROW OUT THE FIRST PITCH…OR MAKE THAT 2 FIRST PITCHES, TO HIS SONE KELLEN AND BECKETT. A WELCOME DISTRACTION TO THE LAST 15 MONTHS OF LIFE. CORY STARTED MID MARCH OF 2024 PAINLESS SEMATURA, BLOOD IN URINE I THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A KIDNEY STONE. WENT TO MY PRIMARY GOT A CT SCAN SCHEDULED. THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. WE WERE HEADING TO KC TO WATCH ISU WRESTLING AT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHPS. WE FOUND OUT ON THE WAY I DID NOT HAVE A KIDNEY STONE I ENDED UP HAVING A VERY LARGE TUMOR ON MY KIDNEY, LEFT SIDE. CANCER…LIFE FOR THE WIEDERIN'S HAD JUST BEEN FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN. SOT: CORY 'WE WERE DEVASTATED YOUNG HEALTHY GUY. DON'T EVEN GO TO THE DR FOR A REGULAR VISIT. SO WE WERE SHOCKED AND DEVASTATED IT WAS TOUGH TO HANDLE.' BRITTANY 'COMPLETE SHOCK, KIND OF THE WHY HIM. YOU ASK ALL THOSE WHY QUESTIONS. OR HOW IS THIS HAPPENING? ' LIFE CONTINUES ON, BUT STAYING POSITIVE CAN BE A CONSTANT STRUGGLE. BRITTANY 'EVERY SINGLE DAY. YOUR MIND SPIRALS. BUT YOU HAVE TO STAY POSITIVE.' CORY: 'YOU ASK YOURSELF WHY ALL THE TIME BUT DOING THAT ISNT GOING TO HELP ME GET FORWARD, THINKING BACKWARDS. IM THINKING POSITIVE AND MOVING FORWARD EVERYDAY TRY NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE WHYS BUT WHATS NEXT. ' CORY HAD SURGERY TO HAVE THE KIDNEY REMOVED. BUT THE CANCER IS A RARE, AGGRESSIVE FORM, MEANING URGENCY IS NEEDED. CORY 'WE DON'T KNOW WHATS IN STORE FOR ME YET AS FAR AS TREATMENT. IN A CLINICAL TRIAL RIGHT NOW AT MAYO. WERE ON MY 25TH TRIP UP THERE AND WILL HAVE MY 22ND SCAN, IN 15 SHORT MONTHS.' THE WIEDERIN'S HAVE ADOPTED A SIMPLE MESSAGE. HANDLE HARD BETTER. BRITTANY 'IT TURNED IN TO OUR LIFE MOTTO, ITS REALLY HARD TO HANDLE HARD BETTER. KNOW THERES REALLY TOUGH DAYS AND SOMETIMES THEY GET THE BEST OF YOU. GET THE BEST PF ME SOMETIMES YOU BREAK DOWN AND THEN YOU BUILD BACK UP. WHEN WERE TOGETHER YOU KEEP MOVING.' CORY 'IT'S A CUTE CATCH PHRASE UNTIL ITS ACTUALLY TIME TO PUT YOUR WORK BOOTS ON AND HANDLE HARD IT MEANS A LOT TO US I THINK ANYBODY CAN RELATE TO IT.' SEARS: THE CANCER DIAGNOSIS WAS OBVIUOSLY A MAJOR SHOCK TO THE WIEDERIN FAMILY. BUT CORY DECIDED HE WASNT GOING TO JUST SIT AROUND AND LET THE CANCER COMPLETELY TAKE OVER HIS LIFE, SO HE MADE A SIMPLE PROMISE TO HIS BOYS. FOR THE NEXT 365 DAYS, FULL CALENDAR YEAR, THEY'LL PLAY CATCH. A FATHER AND HIS SONS, EVERY DAY. NO MATTER WHAT. CORY 'ITS JUST MOMENTS TOGETHER EVEN JUST OUT THERE TALKING, NO OTHER OUTSIDE NOISE. JUST US THROWING THE BALL AROUND PLAYING CATCH HAVING A CONVERSATION, SILENT.' KELLEN ' I LOVE PLAYING CATCH WITH MY DAD.' AND ON THIS NIGHT…THE WIEDERIN BOYS TOOK THE FIELD AT ANKENY TO HAVE A CATCH. BRITTANY ' SEEING THE 3 OF THEM PLAYING CATCH, HAVING FUN, IT WARMS THE HEART BECAUSE ITS JUST THE SIMPLEST THINGS RIGHT. JUST A BALL AND A GLOVE, YOUR BROTHER AND YOUR DAD, YOUR SON. ITS JUST INCREDIBLE I LOVE IT.' CORY 'We started on March 25th playing catch every day 365 days, so today will be day 75..' AS THE CANCER JOURNEY CONTINUES FOR CORY AND THE WIEDERIN'S IT'S ALL ABOT THE PRICELESS MOMENTS CREATED AS A FAMILY. BRITTANY 'EVERYTHING…I LOVE THESE BOYS, I LOVE CORY, SO FAMILY TIME IS PRICELESS. WORK CAN WAIT ALL THESE OTHER THINGS CAN WAIT. ITS ALL ABOUT THE 4 OF US AND WHAT WORKS FOR THE 4 OF US WHAT THE BEST FOR THE 4 OF US.' CORY: 'IT WAS VERY HARD IM ONLY 43 YEARS OLD IVE GO A LOT LEFT TO DO A LOT LEFT TO TEACH.' JOHN SEARS.. CORY 'EVERYDAY YOU JUST TRY AND STAY POSITIVE.' WHO 13 SPORTS. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.