You might remember the young Winona boy we came to know last year as ‘Super Gav.’
He’s the 4-year-old superhero who scored the winning touchdown for the Winona Winhawks, put out a fire at the elementary school and stopped a man from stealing his daycare provider’s purse – all in a day’s work.
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That day, just over a year ago, was set up by the community to help Gavin Quimby, who is battling for his life against a disease known as metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) – a neurological disease that degenerates white matter in the brain.
There is no cure for the disease, which causes the brain and nervous system to gradually lose function, and most children with the infantile form of it die by age 5.
Well things have been pretty tough recently for the young super hero, so Wednesday he got a little pick me up, courtesy of some members of the Minnesota Vikings organization.
Gavin has been hospitalized for nearly three months at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital. In addition to his battle with MLD, Gavin is also fighting Bronchial Obliterans Syndrome.
So former Vikings linebacker and youth football manager E.J. Henderson, vice president Lester Bagley and a pair of Vikings cheerleaders visited Gavin in his room on Wednesday.
In addition, ‘Super Gav’ received a game ball signed by Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (who was out of town) Wednesday.
“That’s awesome for them to come see my son,” Gavin’s father Nick Quimby said. “It’s amazing they were willing to do that. I’m just kind of speechless, but that’s really cool for them to do that.”
