The Hawkeyes will be taking on Wisconsin this weekend in Madison, and 10-year-old Cooper Foster of Central City will be representing the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital as the game's Kid Captain!

Cooper's battle began when he was just two-weeks old. According to his parents, he wasn't gaining weight, eating enough, or having bowel movements. After Cooper began vomiting after eating, his parents decided to take him to a hospital in Cedar Rapids. He was there for 10 days, where he was fed through a feeding tube and a given suppositories. Nothing seemed to work. That's when Cooper was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Hirschsprung's disease is a condition that affects the large intestine (colon) and causes problems with passing stool."

Cooper was sent to University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, where a biopsy revealed that none of his large intestine was working properly. He finally began to improve after a surgery that helped his body get rid of waste. Unfortunately, things got bad again for Cooper around the age of four. An enlarged small intestine and stomach infections led to fairly frequent hospitalizations, so his team decided to plan two surgeries. Since the second one, Cooper's life has improved dramatically. He's very thankful to all the doctors who have taken care of him over the years.

Congratulations to Cooper for being named Kid Captain this week! He definitely deserves the honor. To read more on his story click HERE.

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