Foundation set up for Wheaton N. coach's son
Mike and Liz Pribaz gave their first-born son Jack the middle name Wyatt, after Wyatt Earp.
Earp, legendary as a tough lawman in the Old West, is a hero of Mike Pribaz, a social studies teacher and assistant girls basketball coach at Wheaton North.
Little Jack sure has lived up to his middle name.
His short life has indeed been one difficult fight.
Since the night he was born, the near 3-year-old Jack experienced epileptic seizures. After two years searching for a diagnosis, it was recently found that Jack had a mutation of the KCNQ2 gene in which the potassium channel doesn't function correctly.
There are only about a dozen known cases of this mutation in the world, which has been linked to epilepsy. Jack no longer has clinical seizures, but he does have jerks that keep him up at night.
Every day he goes to Easter Seals for therapy.
“He's never complained a day in his life,” Mike Pribaz said. “All the other kids get to play and he just works. He's such a tough kid.”
Jack's muscle tone is low, which confines him to a wheelchair-like seat. His cognitive development is nowhere near what a toddler his age should be, but as time wore on his parents have seen positive changes. He cannot control his body, but can move his arms and legs and can pick his head up.
Shortly after Jack was born Mike and Liz were told that they couldn't expect to see his first birthday, but with the help of anti-seizure medications and steroid shots his brain activity has become a more regular, organized pattern.
“His quality of life is not normal, but it looks like it could get better,” Mike Pribaz said. “The good news is we've never got really really bad news and the bad news is we've never got really really good news.”
Mike and Liz are taking up Jack's fight.
Last month the Pribaz family started the Jack Pribaz Foundation. The website is jacksarmy.org, joining the fight against KCNQ2, with all proceeds to the foundation going toward research of the KCNQ2 gene mutation. A genetic doctor at Baylor University is among those already doing research.
On Saturday, in conjunction with the West Aurora at Wheaton North girls basketball game, Wheaton North will hold a Victory for Jack Day. There will be a sale of T-Shirts, raffle and a shooting contest with Comcast SportsNet personalities Kendall Gill and Sarah Kustok.
Mike Pribaz is appreciative of a supportive Wheaton North community that has given his family “a lot of hope.”
“We had two choices. We could sit back and hope somebody does something about this, or we do it,” Mike Pribaz said. “When it's your kid, you go do it. If we can fix this gene, it will help the fight against epilepsy.
“We hope that we can beat this, and go on. But if not maybe we can do something to help somebody else down the road.”
Helping Jack
<b>Who</b: Jack Pribaz, son of Wheaton North girls basketball assistant coach Mike Pribaz.
<b>How</b: Saturday at Wheaton North, the Falcons host Victory for Jack day in conjunction with the girls basketball game against West Aurora. Game time is 3 p.m. T-shirts will be on sale, a raffle will be held and a shooting contest with Comcast SportsNet hosts. Or anytime, visit jacksarmy.org
<b>Direct approach</b>: Contributions may be sent to:
Jacks Army, (The Jack Pribaz Foundation) 27W030 Cyprass Lane Winfield, IL 60190