Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH
Friday, August 24, 2012
www.issaquahreporter.com
New image
Four-year-old Calvin Berstch, right, was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease, a rare illness that takes 80 percent of patients before they leave their teenage years. He’s pictured with his siblings Audrey, left, and Caiden at their Lakemont home. Below he’s with his parents Brian and Tricia.
City of Issaquah is ditching its retro ‘90s design for a sleek salmon BY CELESTE GRACEY CGRACEY@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
CELESTE GRACEY, Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter
Hope Against the Odds Issaquah fun run to benefit boy who takes each day as a gift
BY CELESTE GRACEY
Run for Calvin
CGRACEY@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM
Already the mother of two premature babies, Tricia Berstch knew what developmental delays looked like. But her newborn son, Calvin, was struggling with something more. It wasn’t just the hole in his heart, sleep apnea or eyes so crossed he’s needed two surgeries. He slept so long she could hardly wake him to eat, and his acid reflux was so severe he needed feeding therapy. Calvin would turn two, before doctors would discover he had Mitochondrial disease (Mito). His cells don’t produce enough energy, often sending him into metabolic crisis. In a few hours he can go from a happy 4-year-old running around a park to a catatonic state with a 104-degree fever. To help the Lakemont family with his medical care, which has put them in financial hardship, friends are hosting a Fun Run in Issaquah on Aug. 26. Although regular hospital stays were a part of Calvin’s life from the beginning, it took a crisis to discover the disease. To help with Calvin’s sleep apnea, surgeons removed his tonsils and adenoids. Normally kids wake up within an hour of the procedure, it took Calvin a couple days. Too weak to even
A 1.65 mile family run for Calvin Berstch is scheduled for 4 p.m., Aug. 26 at Meerwood Park, 4703 192nd Ave. S.E., Issaquah. It’s $10 per person or $25 for a family, and people can sign up at the event. Treats and beverages will be served after the race. All proceeds benefit the Berstch family. eat, he remained in the hospital three weeks. By then the toddler’s walking turned to crawling. His few words became a babble. Two years of therapy were lost. “I was begging desperately for someone to help us,” Tricia recalled. It was then Calvin had a muscle biopsy to test for Mito. The results were an utter heartbreak. There is only a 20 percent chance that he’ll live past his teen years. The older he gets, the more problems he could get, but it hasn’t got-
ten in the way of Calvin’s joy for life. In the family home, giggles bounce off the second-floor ceiling as Calvin and his older siblings tickle each other until they squeal. The energy of their laughter drowns their parent’s hushes, and only another activity tempts them to skip from the bedroom. Today is a good day, or at least a good afternoon. With Calvin, good days aren’t expected, only remembered. SEE CALVIN, 12
The City of Issaquah has done away with its ‘90s retro style logo this month, as an overall effort to rebrand the city as it rebuilds its website. Pulling the old logo onto a projector – two of Issaquah’s A’s are blacked out to to form moutains and a third mountain, composed of horizontal stacked lines, is formed between them – Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger told Issaquah’s city council, “It was definitely time to update our design.” The new logo features a salmon and plenty of curves. The single logo will replace over a dozen various deIssaquah’s signs adopted new logo by different departments. The mayor formed a committee and chose the final design from a group of different ideas, which were drawn by a graphic designer. The green and grey duotone logo emphasized the city’s commitment to the environment, and it’s also cheaper to print with only two colors, Frisinger said. The salmon was the most important aspect of the design. If the logo is shrunk down considerably, the salmon is still clearly seen, Frisnger said. The city will only buy up new stationary as it runs out. The logo will hit the Web with the city’s new site.