Drew had a “sparkle” he brought into every room he entered.
His mother, Heidi, said he was a true April Fools baby, as his playfulness mirrored his April 1, 2014, birth date. His father, Josh, said Drew’s “sparkle” connected with other children, with his nurses, his sister Molly and his parents.
Even after his diagnosis with Stage IV neuroblastoma on Jan. 21, 2016, Drew’s “sparkle” didn’t go away for the following 170 days of treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. And after his death on Jan. 19, 2017, his “sparkle” continues on in the form of Warrior Wagons.
Heidi and Josh Becker, of Ames, founded Warrior Wagons after the death of their son to help other families suffering from pediatric cancer. The organization gifts collapsible wagons filled with snacks, towels, dishware, toys, books and more to families with children who were recently diagnosed with pediatric cancer.
Since its founding in 2017, the Beckers have partnered with 11 hospitals around the country, including the Mayo Clinic, where Drew had been treated. They’ve given out over 800 wagons to families in those nine years.
During their journey, the couple were given a collapsible wagon they used to take Drew to and from appointments and to carry everything they needed for treatment. The gifted wagon gave them the idea on how to help other families.
“I think when you’re in the middle of grief, taking your focus onto others and the things you can do to make the world a better place and to help others that are facing the same things you did really does help to pull yourself up and move forward reluctantly,” Heidi said.
Creating Warrior Wagons helped, and still does, the family process the loss of Drew.
“It helps to give back, to kind of know that you’re helping other people. We kind of said, ‘How can we help other people?’” Josh said. “Warrior Wagons started out really small, and it’s grown over the years. I think that if people really want to impact the world and do good, I think it starts with small things they can do themselves.”
While Drew was going through treatments, Heidi would update friends and family on his progress online. After his death, Heidi continued to write about her progression through grief.
“I felt like so many people were saying, ‘Oh, I just can’t imagine,’” Heidi said. “And so, I wanted to say, ‘Well, here. Let me tell you.’ People are so interested in your journey, and then when it ends, they still kind of want to know what happens next.”
Eventually, Heidi had the idea to write a book about not just Drew’s journey, but her own. In March of 2026, “Grasping Joy” was published.
“It’s kind of a chronological story of Drew through his treatment, with all the ups and downs,” Heidi said. “It ends, though, before he dies. The book isn’t really about loss and grief. It really is about life and how to have a full and meaningful life with joy during life’s biggest challenges.”
A copy of “Grasping Joy” is now included in each Warrior Wagon they give to families. Heidi felt Drew’s story “needed to be shared.”
“Nobody wants to talk about the possibility that their child will die. No one really knows what to say,” Heidi said. “I thought that if there’s anybody who can share how to actually find and keep joy during that journey, it was us.”
Veronica Meiss is a news intern for the Des Moines Register. You can contact Meiss at vmeiss@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ames couple keeps son’s ‘sparkle’ alive through Warrior Wagons
Reporting by Veronica Meiss, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Veronica Meiss, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
