MILWAUKEE (WLUK) — Two Northeast Wisconsin kids are going on the trip of a lifetime, thanks to the Milwaukee Brewers.
During a visit to American Family Field Tuesday, a trio of young Aurora Health Care patients and their families were surprised with an all-expenses-paid VIP experience at Brewers spring training next month in Phoenix, Arizona. The big announcement was made in a video filmed by Brewers players.
All three boys have experienced significanthealth challenges.
Lucas Connor, 11, from Luxemburg
After not feeling like himself and ultimately losing the ability to walk, doctors discovered a softball-sized mass in Connor’s chest caused by lymphoblastic lymphoma. He spent 35 days in the hospital because the tumor grew so quickly that it damaged his organs, including his kidneys.
Since his diagnosis two years ago, Connor has undergone many chemotherapy treatments, including oral, spinal, leg and belly treatments. He is currently cancer free while he continues to receive monthly chemotherapy infusions and is nearing the end of his oral chemo treatment.
Connor enjoys playing Little League baseball and football.
Reece Walters, 15, from Marinette
Walters experienced an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) that hemorrhaged in his brain in October 2025. This is a rare condition where blood vessels tangle abnormally, causing problems between the connections of your arteries and veins.
He immediately underwent emergency surgery to relieve the pressure in his brain and spent the next two weeks in the intensive care unit having additional procedures. In early February, Reece will undergo a Gamma Knife procedure to treat remaining impacts from the AVM.
Reece is a high school freshman who loves sports and enjoys playing baseball, football and basketball.
Andersen Kerls, 13, from Ixonia
Kerls was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 12 after experiencing stomach pain, weight loss and hardly being able to eat. After his diagnosis in early 2025, he had to carefully add foods back into his diet to see whether or not they would make him sick.
Crohn’s disease has damaged his colon and prevented him from growing as he should. To care for this autoimmune disease, he receives bi-weekly injections and manages his diet in the hopes of preventing flare ups.
As a big Brewers fan, baseball is Andersen’s favorite sport to play, and he is a catcher on his travel baseball team.
What the trip includes
Connor, Walters and Kerls and their families will travel as VIPs to Brewers spring training from Feb. 19-22. They will get to meet Brewers players,participatein warmups, tour theclubhouseand throw out the first pitch whenthey’rehonoredduring agame.