Washington School teacher, Eleuteria (El) Gonzalez-Dobbe, and husband John Dobbe welcomed son Tyson into the world on November 10, 2005. Soon after birth, doctors performed heart surgery. Following the surgery, Tyson began to show other signs that concerned doctors. Consequently, the family found out that Tyson suffers from a severe form of Di George Syndrome, a condition in which the body does not produce adequate quantities of T-cells. This syndrome renders Tyson incapable of fighting off infection or disease. Tyson was chosen to receive an experimental thymus transplant at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. The success rate of this operation is 75% with an isolated recovery period of 2-7 months. Since El and Tyson will be in North Carolina during this recovery time there are special needs and expenses that come with El being away from her husband and four other sons. The Washington School community has put together a special fundraiser for the Dobbe Family called “Tyson’s Fight”. Everyone is welcome to attend this event, so please spread the word to family and friends.

Tyson’s Fight Friday April 28th 7pm-11pm at Hart Park Muellner Building

The PPNA would like to donate funds to cover the cost of bus transportation for a field trip to the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center that will be auctioned off at the Tyson’s Fight event. We invite members of Pabst Park to make a contribution to help cover this cost; any amount above the cost of transportation will go to the Dobbe Family. Thanks for your help for a teacher that has touched the lives of many of our Pabst Park children!

Please send donations with checks payable to PPNA, 2255 North 65th Street

Read the Tosa News Times article about Tyson here.