Mediaboss Marketing

By Tiffanie Reynolds Staff Writer

Just a year and a half ago, Gabriel Grigsby was a Boy Scout, playing baseball and going to school.

But that was before the Grigsbys were told he had ALD, which now leaves the 10-year-old bedridden and under the constant care of his family.

A rare disease, Adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, breaks down the insulation between the cells of the brain. As this insulation, or myelin sheath, breaks down, it causes the patient to slowly lose control of their body. It is most commonly seen in boys age 8 to 10, and has no cure if not identified early enough.

That is the case of the Grigsbys, who took Gabriels difficulty and inattention in school, early signs of the disease, as just a part of growing up. It wasnt until he developed a lazy eye two years ago that they took him to a doctor. They were then sent to a specialist, who diagnosed Gabriel in January 2012.

For a long period of time, we were just living a normal, middle class America life, raising two boys after a difficult adoption process. We thought everything was good and flowing along, and its just tragic to see him whither away, Dawn Grigsby, Gabriels mother, said.

Since the diagnosis, all the family could do was try to make Gabriels life as comfortable as possible. But as the disease progressed, others could see how it was affecting the family. Friends of Grigsbys Church of St. Luke and St. Peter in St. Cloud decided to hold a celebration for the family Saturday, calling it Gabriels Super Fun Day.

The initial planning started about two months ago, and what began as a simple church gathering has turned into a community-wide fundraiser for ALD awareness. Now including local organizations, businesses and a possible visit from the U.S. Armed Forces, Gabriels Super Fun Day on Saturday offers giant inflatables, carnival games, arts and crafts, food concessions, raffles and performances by celebrity tribute artists such as Austin Powers, Carley Rae Jepson Michael Jackson and Dean Martin.

The event, held Saturday at Church of St. Luke and St. Peter from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., requests a $5 entrance donation, with all of the entertainment and nearly every food concession free of charge.

The event is supported by donations and volunteer efforts from the community, with little funding coming from the familys pocket. Efforts from the church include T-shirt designs (Superman logo with a G instead of a S) and working with Peter Grigsby, Gabriels father who works in entertainment, to get live performers.

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‘Gabriel’s Super Fun Day’ to help raise money for disease awareness