Update May 24, 2023: Joey has finished up treatment at a hospital in Minneapolis and is heading back home to Baltimore.
Tony Brocato, a former marine and Baltimore City firefighter is the father of 6-year-old Joey who has been diagnosed with a rare disease.
“July 7 of 2021, he was three days in a row of just consistently vomiting, so I took him to our local hospital, and within 15 minutes he went unresponsive in the ER,” said Brocato.
Once they were able to bring Joey back to consciousness, doctors ran additional tests, and after a few weeks they gave Brocato the heartbreaking news.
“Joey has Adrenoleukodystrophy, the doctor said don’t google it, of course I did and that diagnosis brought me to my knees immediately," he added.
The x-chromosome linked disease is a rare genetic condition that causes the buildup of very long chain fatty acids in the brain disrupting brain function.
Brocato and his son Joey will have to travel to Minnesota for four months for Joey's treatment including chemotherapy and multiple surgeries.
Joey’s grandfather started a GoFundMe for the two since Brocato will not be able to work during that time.
“It’s difficult in a lot of ways because you go from being the guy that people call when they need help and next thing you know you're the guy that needs help, and that is very hard to accept. Financially it’s very difficult because I’m going to be missing time from work, but thank God for the GoFundMe and everyone who has donated,” Brocato said.
Brocato also tells WMAR-2 News that once he and his son come back from the treatment, he'll talk with legislators in Annapolis advocating for ALD testing.
Early detection allows for doctors to treat the child as soon as they can, to prevent irreversible brain damage.
So far, the GoFundMe has raised over half of the their $60,000 goal. Brocato says now they will wait until the Minnesota doctors tell them when it's time to begin treatment which will be within the next six weeks.
