HAMMOND, Wis. — Tuesday is National Pancake Day at IHOP, which means a free short stack for you at any IHOP location.
It's also an important fundraising day for children battling critical illnesses, through the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals system.
In Minnesota, the only CMN hospital is Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare.
Tanner Feyereisen, of Hammond, Wis., knows that hospital well because he has had about 15 surgeries performed on him since he was born.
"I'm just an ordinary person with something different," Tanner said.
Tanner was born with Clubfoot and Cerebral Palsy. But he has never let that get in his way of competing in sports like basketball and wrestling, both of which he loves.
"They're some of the most painful surgeries you an have. We'll never know when his next surgery will be. It'll be when he has pain or can't do it. He just never complains," said Leah Feyereisen, Tanner's mother.
Tanner's latest goal is to make it to the state competition for wrestling. His coach, Brad Holzer says Tanner has that grit and never gives up.
"It doesn't matter what he does. It's the same attitude, the same kid and he just works hard at everything he does," Holzer said.
No matter what the setbacks in life, Tanner has a message for all kids going through something different, that they too, can succeed.
"Sometimes you have to tell your brain you're going to do it and sometimes it doesn't work out but at least you tried. But sometimes you just have to have a moment to say 'I'm going to do this and I'm going to keep going until I get it done,'" Tanner said.
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