Holton's Heroes became aware of young Caleb through Facebook. His mother, Jackie, was asking other parents of special needs kids if anyone knew where she could find more affordable therapy switches – they can cost hundreds of dollars – so she could continue the work he was doing at therapy at his home. After hearing his story, we had to help.
Caleb was a year and half when he suffered a life-altering seizure while away on a family outing. It was September 8, 2012 and the day, "started out as many days had earlier in Caleb's life," his father Dennis explained. "After lunch Caleb usually takes a nap, so Jackie volunteered to drive him the 10 minutes home where [Caleb] could sleep comfortably in his own bed."
"After an hour, [Jackie] checked on Caleb through a crack in the door," Dennis told us. When Caleb's mom looked inside, she saw her son stirring around the bed as he usually does. She decided she would let him fully wake up and exit on his own but as the minutes passed, something began to feel off.
Jackie went in after five minutes to kiss him awake, but instead of seeing a sleepy-eyed baby boy she found her son suffering from a seizure. This was the moment their life changed.
Caleb was rushed off to a hospital where he was immediately treated for the febrile seizure, however at some point during his time in the emergency room, he stopped breathing. Caleb was "without oxygen and flat-lined for over 11 minutes," Jackie told us. Although, Caleb was eventually resuscitated, the damage was done.
Against most odds, Caleb survived after spending weeks in a coma. When they took their son home on September 28, Caleb's neurologist told his parent that Caleb "would never be aware of [them], and that he would never be more than vegetative," Dennis told us.
Now almost 4 years later, "the therapies seem to work well ... acupuncture, Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI), hyperbarics all combined to help reduce Caleb's spasticity," Dennis tells us.
According to his parents Caleb can now see, hear, and will sometimes turn toward them when they speak to him. Caleb has even impressed the doctor who once claimed he would never advance. No one can ever doubt the fight inside this little boy's heart.
Caleb's parents and doctors still aren't sure what brought about the initial seizure but feel it might have been caused by a sudden fever. Needless to say, Holton's Heroes wanted to help so we purchased Caleb the sensory switch his mother was trying to afford, as well as two unique sensory toys that work in tandem with the switch.
Of course, a switch and a few toys does not solve Caleb's issues alone, as the family admits that they struggle to come up with the funds for his expensive, non-covered therapies. "[Insurance] wants to make him comfortable, we want to make him better," his father states.
Caleb's family set up a GoFundMe account and we are happy to invite you all to visit their page and donate directly to them. Just the same, if donating money isn't your thing, Dennis and Jackie are open to gifts for Caleb (rehabmart.com has many toys that work with the switch we gave him) which you can mail to:
Caleb Gawronski, 605 2nd Avenue, Baraboo, WI, 53913
Caleb, you are now one of our Heroes and we love you. You are an example of the fight that is in us all and are proving every day that we should never give up.
“Caleb suffered devastating brain damage and wasn’t expected to live. [He] however isn’t a quitter and continues to battle back. ”
Holton's Heroes sponsored three incredible campers to attend the 2018 summer session of Camp Cranium—a camp dedicated to providing a one-of-a-kind experience for children with brain injuries.