Super Gav Scholarship

Gavin Quimby loved superheroes, particularly Superman, to whom he shared more than a passing resemblance with his dark hair, piercing eyes, and fair complexion. It should not surprise anyone that Gavin’s nickname was Super Gav. Gavin was the kind of child who was always in motion. In the fall of 2013, at the age of three, his parents, Nick and Shanna Quimby began noticing that he was having trouble with his balance and seemed like he was afraid of his own body. It would take five months for doctors at Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse Wisconsin to confirm the devastating diagnosis of juvenile-onset metachromatic leukodystrophy. After his diagnosis in May 2014, Gavin was referred to specialists at the University of Minnesota.

Though he was showing symptoms of leukodystrophy, doctors at the University of Minnesota hoped that a bone marrow transplant might slow down the progress of the disease. The bone marrow transplant had a 1 in 4 chance of getting Gavin more time, but the doctors warned that the treatment would be hard, and that there would be risks. Everyone hoped that Gavin would be one of the lucky kids the treatment helped.

In August 2014, Gavin underwent a bone marrow transplant. It was grueling, and the months away from home were difficult for the entire Quimby family. Shanna, who is a surgical technologist and Army veteran, stayed with Gavin at The Ronald McDonald House in Minneapolis. Nick, a police officer and Iraq War veteran, stayed at home in Winona with Gavin’s big sister Ali. The time away from home was hard on everyone, particularly Ali. When Ali made the three hour trip to see Gavin, no matter how he was feeling, Gavin would light up when his sister was around.

The bone marrow transplant would be successful, but the risky side-effects that the doctors had warned about kept Gavin in the hospital for six months. The doctors marveled at how well Gavin had gotten through the transplant. But then Gavin developed a rare condition that had compromised his pulmonary system, and for months they tried everything they could to preserve his lungs. As Gavin would stabilize and get better, the condition would progress again and he would return to the hospital for lengths at a time.
After a year of active treatment, in late August 2015, Nick and Shanna were forced to make the heart-wrenching decision to bring Gavin home and have him live the rest of his life in comfort and surrounded by love from his family and friends. Gavin showed tremendous courage through his transplant process, his graft vs host disease, and numerous other health issues, but it was time to go home to laugh and smile. It was clear that Gavin was so relieved to be home, even if Nick and Shanna feared for the future.
Gavin enjoyed laughing with his sister, driving his cop car, swimming, spending time with his daycare girls, playing at the park, riding the Gator with his grandma and grandpa, surfing Netfix, playing his running game on the Ipad, and traveling to Disney World. Gavin loved Despicable Me, minions, Super Man, but he loved his mom the most.

Gavin passed away surrounded by his family, at his home at the age of five on Tuesday, September 8th, 2015.

Scholarship contacts are Nick & Shanna Quimby (parents of Gavin) and Brad & Tanya Berzinksi.