Shortly after Jacob Haug was born, he suffered a cerebral artery stroke, and that was only the beginning.
Later, the now 12-year-old Fargo, N.D. native was also diagnosed with infantile spasms, a form of epilepsy.
Life certainly hasn’t been easy for Jacob, but he has persevered. On Tuesday, he received two surprises.
Players from the Fargo Force paid a visit to Sanford Children’s Hospital, where Jacob was named their 2025 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Champion, or ambassador.
Jacob’s first surprise came when the players presented him with his own jersey, one he himself had designed. The Force will wear the special jersey during Saturday night’s home game against the Lincoln Stars, which is being designated as Sanford Children’s Night.
Jacob’s day was about to get even better. He was also informed that he and his family would be taking a trip to Disney World.
It was an emotional moment, to be sure.
“Children’s Miracle Network, who set up this conference, has all sorts of things planned for us,” Jacob’s mother, Karla, told KVLY Valley News Live. “There’ll be autograph days, and they get to participate in a lot of different things, meeting corporate sponsors and other families and connecting with other families. It’s going to be really exciting for us.”
Once again, a hockey community steps up to make a difference. It’s a day the players will always treasure, as will Jacob and his family.