PAPILLION, Neb. —

For generations, the Akerson family has been involved in wrestling.

"It was during wrestling season, when he was diagnosed. It was a wrestling injury that we were getting an MRI for his neck, and that's how we found the tumor incidentally," said Marie Akerson.

The family discovered Kieran had a brain tumor. As they searched for treatment options, they realized how little support pediatric brain cancer research really has.

"Only a small percentage of government funding goes for pediatric cancer research, and then an even smaller percentage that goes towards brain cancer research because that's not very common," said Akerson

The family partnered with the Team Jack Foundation to take down the tumor.

"In the first year, we did it at UNO, and we had about 300 wrestlers.

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