4-year-old Super Gav saves Winona
Gavin Quimby has rare brain disease
WINONA, Minn. (WKBT) — Months ago the bat kid in San Francisco stole our hearts as he saved Gotham City from evil. The little boy with leukemia became a hero.
The city of Winona needed a superhero of its own Thursday. Thankfully they had 4-year-old Super Gav to call on.
Gavin Quimby is pretty much your average 4-year-old.
He likes playing with his big sister Ali, he is very active, happy, always smiling and he loves Superman.
What is different about Gavin, though, is a rare brain disease with no known cure, but that isn’t stopping him from being the hero Winona needs.
When the Winona Winhawk’s running back was hurt before the last play of the game there was only one person the crowd trusted with the ball.
“Gavin, Gavin,” they cheered.
The coach made the right decision by putting Gavin in, because he scored the game-winning touchdown.
When ABC Elementary School went up in flames, Super Gav came in to put out the fire.
And when his day care provider’s purse was stolen, Super Gav stopped the bad guy in his tracks.
“We have a benefit on the 26th of July and we though that it would be neat to make a movie and his favorite superhero is Superman, so make a movie that we can play at the benefit,” Winona police officer and organizer of Thursday’s events Jay Rasmussen said.
“It’s called leukodystrophy. It’s pretty much white brain matter on his brain, which affects his gross motor skills, fine motor skills. It’s a non-curable disease, limited treatments,” Gavin’s dad Nick Quimby said.
Gavin’s parents Nick and Shanna have always been on the giving side of things. They said to have the Winona community help them is incredibly humbling.
“It’s kind of bittersweet, I wish it wasn’t the reason why we’re here, for my son’s disease, but it’s really cool to see the community come together,” Nick Quimby said.
“This tuned into something bigger than I ever imagined,” Rasmussen said.
After a full day of saving the people of Winona, Super Gav was given a key to the city.
When asked what he was going to do with his key to the city, Gavin said, “Keep it.”
Super Gav was given the actual diagnosis of leukodystrophy fairly recently.
His family just learned that Gavin could have a bone marrow transplant at the University of Minnesota.
The movie shot Thursday will be played at a benefit held July 26 in Winona. If you would like to read more about Gavin’s story or learn about the benefit, click here for a link to his website.
