Coon Rapids fundraiser for S3 Kit supports children with trachs

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Published October 18, 2026 9:59 PM CDT
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Coon Rapids fundraiser for S3 Kit supports children with trachs

With a desire to help others, Jamie Grant created Superman Sam's Survival Kit, or S3 Kit. The nonprofit compiles essentials for families transitioning a child from the hospital to home with a trach, and the kits are given to anyone who requests one. FOX 9's Leah Beno has the story.

The Brief

    • Since March 2020, S3 Kit says it has sent 423 kits to families in 32 states through 28 hospitals or Ronald McDonald house partners.
    • The nonprofit packs supplies, organizing tips and encouragement for families bringing a child home from the hospital with a tracheostomy. .
    • Information about getting a complimentary kit, donating or bringing S3 Kit to a hospital is available at s3kit.org.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A carefully-packed box is helping families feel less alone as they bring a child home with a trach.

How S3 Kit helps families

What we know:

With a desire to help others, Jamie Grant created Superman Sam's Survival Kit, or S3 Kit. The nonprofit compiles essentials for families transitioning a child from the hospital to home with a trach, and the kits are given to anyone who requests one.

Local perspective:

The words of encouragement and acknowledgment from other parents who have walked this path often mean the most. The website also says every item in an S3 Kit has been chosen with care by someone who has been in a family's shoes.

By the numbers:

Grant says they've distributed 423 kits since March of 2020.

"And we're now been in 32 states and 28 different, either Ronald McDonald houses or hospitals that we have partnered with that request kit," said Grant.

What goes inside each kit

Why you should care:

S3 Kits include everything from a onesie that is easier to fit around tubes to suggestions and photos that show families how to organize large amounts of medical supplies. Elmo helps parents and caregivers practice handling the new hardware around a child's neck.

"This just helps normalize something that isn't normal," said Lynn Fields.

What you can do:

S3 Kit has a fundraiser planned to help create more kits for those who might need them.

4th Annual 'In Your Shoes’ Night Out

  • Friday, October 23, 2026
  • 6-10 p.m.
  • Bunker Hills Event Center, 12800 Bunker Prairie Road NorthwestCoon Rapids, MN

More information available at https://www.s3kit.org/events

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