The Ashburn Pub’s annual Halloween golf tournament will benefit a local 4-year-old boy, Brady Passieu, who has a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH).
CDH is a hole in the diaphragm that allows the abdominal organs to grow in the chest cavity. In Brady’s case, this caused the crushing of his right lung and a series of health problems that have put Brady in and out of the hospital.
“He has had a lot of surgery and he’s going to need more eventually, but the hardest thing is that we don’t know when,” Brady’s mother, Shannon Thomas, said. “We don’t know when he’s going to get sick and we don’t know which time it’s going to be bad.”
In a lot of ways, Brady is just your typical 4-year-old. He is going into another year of preschool, is always carrying around a bag of toys, and is obsessed with superheroes. But because of CDH, there are things that make him unique and things that make his life difficult.
“With one functioning lung you’re not going to be running bases, you’re not going to be playing soccer,” Thomas said. “And then one wrong move could rupture his spleen, so we don’t do much.”
June 15, 2010 was the day Thomas, who was five months pregnant at the time, found out from doctors about Brady’s condition. She was told he had a 50-50 chance to live. Before that day they expected a completely healthy baby.
The cause of CDH is still unknown and there is little research being done. Because every child with CDH is different and so much about the condition is unknown, doctors often don’t know what the cause of Brady’s sicknesses are or how to treat them.
“Not a single person in this world can tell us why this happened, and it’s because there isn’t enough research, and that’s a huge problem,” Thomas said.
Cherubs is the world’s largest CDH organization for awareness, research, and information and support for families affected by CDH.
According to Cherub’s website, CDH is as common as Spina Bifida and Cystic Fibrosis. It says that over 1600 babies are born with CDH every year in the United States and with a 50 percent survival rate, 800 of those babies will die.
The Ashburn Pub will be donating the proceeds from the golf tournament to both Brady’s family and Cherubs. Thomas has been friends with the owner of the pub, Kevin Bednarz, and the staff for many years.
“It’s a family there and I love them and I’m so appreciative,” Thomas said. “There’s no words to ever thank them for what they’ve done for Brady and I.”
This is the second year that the event will benefit Brady and his family. Thomas said she constantly has texts and phone calls from the staff at the pub. Recently, she said they all pitched in for a Captain America shield, toys and books for Brady when he was in the hospital. Bednarz, who is also an artist and the owner of Comic Logic in Ashburn, is planning on painting Brady’s back brace to resemble a ninja turtle.
“Obviously it’s great to help people and it’s fun and people come to you with great causes and it helps get customers, but it’s neat because you meet a lot of new people and you all help each other,” Bednarz said.
The Halloween-themed golf tournament will take place at the West Park Golf Couse in Leesburg on October 11. Golfers will dress up and have the chance to win one of the two cars being given away.
The prices to participate and sponsor begin at $100. Call or stop by the pub to reserve your spot and benefit Team Brady and CDH awareness.
Kate O'Toole 