STRATFORD, Wis. -- It takes a whole lot of prayer and perseverance. That's what some new parents in Stratford, Wis. found out when their baby boy was diagnosed with leukemia. Now all they hope is for their child to have a normal life.

When you look at Travis and Cassie Kurtzweil's 8-month-old son Treyden, it's hard to see anything more than a happy, playful baby boy.

"He's always smiling," dad Travis said.

But at just 2-months-old, Treyden was diagnosed with the Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL.

Since finding out the news, Treyden has spent nearly every moment at a hospital in Marshfield, in hopes of a miracle.

"It's extremely hard. You feel helpless. You feel like you're living a nightmare every single day," said his mom Cassie.

Treatment after treatment, doctors have tried nearly everything to cure baby Treyden but now it's all come down to one option.

"We are at a critical point in his treatment. He has responded pretty well to chemotherapy over the last month and this would be now the time to try to transition his care to a bone marrow transplant center," said Dr. Michael McManus.

The closest transplant center that treats infants is in Madison.

The Kurtzweils say at first, insurance would not cover the infant transplant procedure. But after a lot of persistence, hard work and plenty of prayers, on Tuesday the insurance company said it'd make an exception.

"He's been through a lot so far. Yeah, from the beginning they told us the odds were against him and every single time he got an infection, that could be life-threatening and every single time, he pulled through it. You just can't give up on him," said Cassie.

Although insurance will now cover the transplant, Treyden's parents still have to pay out of pocket for a lot of his medical expenses.

If you'd like to help them out, there will be a benefit at Dale's Weston Lanes in Weston in Wausau on Saturday, March 9 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
There will be music, food and raffle prizes. All of the money raised will go toward their cause.

A benefit account has been established at Stratford State Bank. Checks can be made out to "Treyden Kurtzweil" in the memo line donors are asked to write "benefit". Checks can be mailed to
Stratford State Bank
307 N. Weber Ave
Stratford, WI 54484