Solar eclipse: Leander watch party will raise money for toddler with kidney transplant
LEANDER, Texas - When Central Texas has its eyes on the sky next Monday for the total solar eclipse, a group from Leander will use the rare event to shine a light on a local family.
The Fieldhouse at the Crossover in Leander is a huge sporting and arcade complex.
Keith Sobieralski works weekends at the Fieldhouse’s bar.
Weekends are the only few days out of the week when he can squeeze in work, because the rest of the time he's in Houston with his son Baer.
"We knew pretty quickly after he was born that he would have some congenital defects of his kidneys," said Sobieralski.
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Baer was diagnosed with final-stage chronic kidney disease not long after he was born in June 2021.
He recently received a life-changing kidney transplant at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston after a stranger heard his story and decided to see if her kidney might be a fit.
She ended up being the perfect match.
"He still has quite a ways to go before we're able to move back," said Sobieralski. "We expect to be out there until May, maybe even June."
Sobieralski and his wife split time between Leander and Houston.
"It's a financial event in itself, having a medically complex child, and then when you add living in two different cities, commuting 800 miles a week, and medical bills, rent, and a mortgage, everything that goes into keeping him healthy and recovering right now has been a big financial burden," said Sobieralski.
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When Sobieralski's bosses heard his story, they decided to use a rare total solar eclipse as a way to reflect some light back on Baer and his family.
"Keith is such a good person, and when he shared his story, we've done everything we can to help out in different ways," said Charles Milligan, owner of the Fieldhouse. "It was just a fun way of bringing their family in and get support and get people to understand what Baer's gone through."
The Fieldhouse will host a watch party, selling raffle tickets for an old Mitsubishi Eclipse.
"We'll be pulling up the lucky ticket number, and you'll be driving off with this," said Milligan.
The money will go to the Sobieralski as they pay for medical bills and other unexpected expenses on the road to bringing Baer home.
"It has been incredible to have the Fieldhouse and FBR Management to take such good care of me," said Sobieralski. "It's been a long journey, and we see the light at the end of the tunnel."
Raffle tickets are $8 and can be purchased online.