Tyler Cook typically wrestles for entertainment and enjoyment, but this weekend it’s all about the money.
Money to benefit an infant battling cancer, that is.
Cook and other independent professional wrestlers from the region will compete on Friday at the Boys and Girls Club of Topeka. All of the ticket sales and proceeds from the event will go toward medical expenses for 3-month-old cancer patient Jacoby Brown and his family.
At a little over a month old, Jacoby was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that attacks the nervous system. Jacoby underwent two rounds of chemotherapy at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo, where he’s been since November. He recently developed an internal infection.
“Though we are not yet sure of the outcome, we know and have seen that Jacoby is a warrior and will fight this monster every day until he is healed,” Dustin Brown, Jacoby’s father, said in a statement. “Thank you for your support. It helps us and Jacoby to continue on in our fight against this terrible disease.”
The Browns call Jacoby a fighter for all he’s had to endure and because his arms are always flailing in the air. This weekend, however, the wrestlers will fight for him.
“A Night for Jacoby” will feature wrestlers from Impact Pro Wrestling Midwest and Metro Pro Wrestling.
Cook, who is with Metro Pro Wrestling, said he is excited to lend his talents to a good cause.
“Definitely something that touched my heart a little bit because it is such a tough situation for such a young baby. I want to do anything I can to help out,” Cook said.
A local group that called itself “Team Jacoby” first contacted the Brown family with a desire to help. Group members invited the wrestlers and organized the event.
Laura Moran, one of the organizers, said she found out about Jacoby on her cousin’s Facebook.
“It weighed heavy on my heart and I felt like there was something I needed to do to help,” Moran said.
This is the third local benefit for Jacoby.
David Brown, Dustin’s father, said his infant grandson “has touched many, many people in a special way.”
“This child, at just over 3 months of age, has been through more than most people do in a lifetime,” David Brown said. “Two spinal taps, bone marrow sampling, major abdominal surgery, two rounds of chemo and eight weeks in intensive care. Jacoby Allen Brown is an amazing little guy.”
The outpouring of public support, David Brown added, “opened a new world,” to the Brown family.
“People showed up at the pancake feed that had no connection to us,” Brown said. “It’s amazing.”
David Brown said the wrestling tournament is a neat way to get people involved.
Dustin Brown was recently laid off from McElroy’s Heating and Cooling. The extra time enables him to spend more time with Jacoby after his wife, Sheri Brown, returned to her job at Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
But really, David Brown said, Sheri and Dustin don’t want sympathy or expect anything.
“They just ask for prayers,” he said.
Bell time for “A Night for Jacoby” is at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Lupita’s Mexican restaurant, Urban Salon, and Junior’s Bar and Grill or at the door the day of the show.
Angelique McNaughton 