Cure for sick Salinas toddler could be around the corner

This weekend, there is a bass fishing fundraising tournament at Lake Nacimiento.

This weekend, there is a bass fishing fundraising tournament at Lake Nacimiento.

UPDATE FOR YOU ON JT BOROFKA AND THE RACE TO FIND A CURE TO TREAT THE VERY RARE AND LIFE-THREATENING DISEASE HE SUFFERS FROM.... THE BOROFKAS TELL US UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH RESEARCHERS ARE MAKING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN FINDING A DRUG TO TREAT LITTLE JT: MEANTIME, THE FUNDRAISING FOR THE SALINAS TODDLER CONTINUES WITH GREAT SUCCESS. THIS WEEKEND, THERE'S A BASS FISHING TOURNAMENT AT LAKE NACIMIENTO. THEY HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF FISHING EQUIPMENT THEY'LL BE RAFFLING OFF. BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE BOROFKAS WILL HAVE RAISED A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR RESEARCH. ALL ARE WELCOME AT SATURDAY'S FISHING TOURNAMENT AT LAKE NACIMIENTO. THERE'S A 200 DOLLAR ENTRY FEE. BLAST OFF IS AT SEVEN. WEIGH IN'S AT TWO FOLLOWED BY THE RAFFLE DRAWING. MORE INFORMATION AT SAVEJT.COM.# COMING

Cure for sick Salinas toddler could be around the corner

This weekend, there is a bass fishing fundraising tournament at Lake Nacimiento.

Big strides are being made by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania to find a cure for JT Borofka.The 1-year-old Salinas toddler suffers from a disease that's so rare only eight people in the country are known to have it. It’s a metabolic disorder called triosephosphate isomerase deficiency, or TPI deficiency.“They’re really confident that they’re going to have something within the next 12 months and we’re looking forward to it," said JT’s father, Jason Borofka.“I think they know what they’re looking for now and they’re just needing to go through the 50,000 compounds and look to see which ones can help the TPI disease,” said JT’s mother, Tara Borofka. “They’re definitely making important progress.”Dr. Michael Palladino is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh's school of medicine, and he is the only known researcher of TPI deficiency in the United States.The Borofkas learned about Palladino shortly after JT's diagnosis and flew across the country in August to meet him and his research team.Meantime, critical fundraising for JT continues with great success.Friends of the Borofkas have organized a bass fishing tournament at Lake Nacimiento for Saturday where thousands of dollars-worth of fishing equipment will be raffled off following the tournament.“We’ve had fundraisers all over California and this one is really special to us because we both share a passion for fishing,” said JT’s dad.By the end of this year, the Borofkas will have raised a $250,000.00 for TPI deficiency research.“The University of Pittsburgh is also holding their own fundraising campaign right now. We’ve completely funded the entire first year project that the lab had in mind so project #2 is what we’re raising money for now and getting the funds over there to start the 2nd project,” Tara said.Palladino is confident he will find a drug that already exists on the market to treat JT’s TPI deficiency.A treatment cannot come soon enough. Right now, JT's only symptom is anemia. Doctors say the disease will slowly overtake his body and brain. If left untreated, they give him two to five years to live.JT is just now recovering from a lengthy and brutal stomach virus believed to be related to TPI. “It really took a toll on him and we were really scared. We were at Stanford a lot. He went from running around, he got sick, stopped crawling. They don’t have any reason to think this isn’t TPI-related. We’re doing everything we can to get him back and moving,” said Borofka.

SALINAS, Calif. —

Big strides are being made by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania to find a cure for JT Borofka.

The 1-year-old Salinas toddler suffers from a disease that's so rare only eight people in the country are known to have it. It’s a metabolic disorder called triosephosphate isomerase deficiency, or TPI deficiency.

“They’re really confident that they’re going to have something within the next 12 months and we’re looking forward to it," said JT’s father, Jason Borofka.

“I think they know what they’re looking for now and they’re just needing to go through the 50,000 compounds and look to see which ones can help the TPI disease,” said JT’s mother, Tara Borofka. “They’re definitely making important progress.”

Dr. Michael Palladino is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh's school of medicine, and he is the only known researcher of TPI deficiency in the United States.

The Borofkas learned about Palladino shortly after JT's diagnosis and flew across the country in August to meet him and his research team.

Meantime, critical fundraising for JT continues with great success.

Friends of the Borofkas have organized a bass fishing tournament at Lake Nacimiento for Saturday where thousands of dollars-worth of fishing equipment will be raffled off following the tournament.

“We’ve had fundraisers all over California and this one is really special to us because we both share a passion for fishing,” said JT’s dad.

By the end of this year, the Borofkas will have raised a $250,000.00 for TPI deficiency research.

“The University of Pittsburgh is also holding their own fundraising campaign right now. We’ve completely funded the entire first year project that the lab had in mind so project #2 is what we’re raising money for now and getting the funds over there to start the 2^nd project,” Tara said.

Palladino is confident he will find a drug that already exists on the market to treat JT’s TPI deficiency.

A treatment cannot come soon enough.

Right now, JT's only symptom is anemia. Doctors say the disease will slowly overtake his body and brain. If left untreated, they give him two to five years to live.

JT is just now recovering from a lengthy and brutal stomach virus believed to be related to TPI.

“It really took a toll on him and we were really scared. We were at Stanford a lot. He went from running around, he got sick, stopped crawling. They don’t have any reason to think this isn’t TPI-related. We’re doing everything we can to get him back and moving,” said Borofka.