Community comes together to help 11-year-old boy with rare genetic disorder
Calvin Brezgel is blind, deaf and can't eat through his mouth
Calvin Brezgel is blind, deaf and can't eat through his mouth
Calvin Brezgel is blind, deaf and can't eat through his mouth
A brave boy's story is inspiring others in Waukesha County.
Curly's Waterfront Sports Bar & Grill hosted a fundraiser Sunday afternoon to raise money for an Oconomowoc child with a rare genetic disease.
The Brezgel family is fundraising for 11-year-old Calvin. He's blind, deaf and can't eat through his mouth.
His disease is so rare the family said only 40 people in the world have it.
Calvin can't move on his own and is in a wheelchair. The Brezgel family said some of the proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward repairing their wheelchair van.
Family said Calvin also suffers from seizures and is in and out of the hospital often.
Calvin's mom, Deborah Brezgel, works three part-time jobs, and his dad, Dan Brezgel, works a full-time job while going to college online.
Despite these challenges, the family is in good spirits. Family members said Calvin loves to laugh and play with his siblings. And they're encouraged by the community support.
"In the beginning, it was really hard. We had no support, and we had hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills. And at the time, we had lots of fundraisers to pay for those bills," Dan Brezgel said.
"He is a very expressive little man. He'll tell you if things are not right in the air, meaning that if I cook and I burn something, he'll know it ahead of time," Deborah Brezgel said.
Calvin's family has a website with more information about their story.