Benefit for Lorelei Brink to be held Saturday

An Iowa girl is on the path to recovery after facing incredible health challenges during her first months of life.

This February, Lorelei Brink went into cardiac arrest from influenza A on her way to the emergency room in La Crosse. She was two-months-old at the time. Her family said her heart and lungs made miraculous recoveries and her kidneys continue to heal, but Lorelei sustained a severe, widespread brain injury.

Doctors predicted she will be diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. They told her parents, JayR and Jerrica Brink of Waterville, she will not be able to walk, talk, see, or eat and will be minimally responsive.

Lorelei continues to make progress to defeat that prognosis each day. Family members say she is rolling over, making sounds and smiling, and her vision is showing improvement.

A benefit will be held Saturday at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion to help raise funds for her physical and occupational therapy.

“This is a long road to recovery, so we really need to pull together and help them out a lot, relative Justin Shepard said. “We’re looking for all of the support we can get. This is something very close to not only me but also a lot of people in town here. Being part of my family, we hope to get a great turnout.”

The event begins with a 1:00 p.m. meal followed by a bake sale and silent auction until 3:30 p.m. and a live auction at 4:00 p.m. More information can be found online.