MILWAUKEE — A local school dedicated its baseball field in honor of two children who died after being diagnosed with a rare disease.

On Saturday, TMJ4 News was there as the University School of Milwaukee (USM) renamed its baseball field Bridger and Essex Grebe Field.

Both passed away, in 2010 and 2015 respectively, after being diagnosed with Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (INAD). INAD is a rare, inherited neurological disorder that causes progressive loss of vision, muscular control, and mental skills.

“When our sons were first diagnosed, we didn’t know what it was,” said Kelly Grebe.

For the past 14 years, Michael and Kelly Grebe, the parents of Bridger and Essex, have been raising money to fund the search for a cure by hosting an annual charity softball tournament. To date, the family has raised nearly $800,000 to help fund the search for a cure for INAD, which affects roughly just 150 kids worldwide.

“The more people that we can make aware of this rare disease, the more hope we have of finding someone who wants to step up and fund a cure,” said Kelly Grebe.

While no cure has been identified yet, researchers are working towards starting gene therapy trials. That progress has inspired many who have joined the Gebe’s on the quest for a cure.

Ryan Jenkins

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“They’ve been doing a softball event for several years and we wanted them to come home here to USM,” said Steve Hancock, USM’s Head of Schools. He spoke Saturday at the unveiling of Bridger and Essex Grebe Field. “It’s not just Grebe Field because we want people to remember Bridger and Essex. We want them to know what they went through, the disease that they fought and our hope for a cure and so by having their name on the field for everyone to see, we’re hoping that for generations in the future, we’ll be able to tell this story for them.”

It’s an extra special moment for the Grebes. Their family has attended the institution for generations and Michael and their two sons, Griffin and Tripp, have been part of the USM baseball team.

“University School and the baseball program mean an awful lot to me, to our sons, to our family and to have Bridger and Essex recognized this way means an awful lot to me and I hope it can mean something to the kids who can look up and there and see their names up there for years to come,” said Michael Grebe.

A home run for a family fighting for a cure.

To learn more about the Bridger & Essex Grebe Fund and the race to fund and find a cure for INAD, click here.

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Nick Martinez was outstanding on Saturday night in Milwaukee as he tossed seven shutout innings. Tobias Myers matched him all night, exiting the game in the 8th inning having not allowed a run. The Brewers finally broke through with a 2-out solo home run in the bottom of the 8th to plate the game’s only run as they picked up a 1-0 win that also gave them a series victory.

A night after the Brewers jumped all over Reds starter Carson Spiers, Nick Martinez made sure it was going to happen again. Milwaukee didn’t get their first base runner of the game until there were two outs in the bottom of the 4th inning when Gary Sanchez singled up the middle to break up Martinez’s no-hitter. The Reds offense wasn’t doing much better, though. They had a base runner earlier in the game thanks to an error, but they also didn’t pick up their first hit of the game until there were two outs in the 4th.

That’s how the game continued, too. Martinez kept on rolling, giving up just that one hit through the 7th inning and he had seven strikeouts to go along with it. Tobias Myers matched him, and then a little extra, as he kept the Reds off of the board through 7.1 innings and had nine strikeouts. But he exited the game with one out and a runner on after Ty France singled to lead off the inning. Joel Payamps entered the game for Milwaukee and got out of the inning without allowing France to move.

Cincinnati turned things over to Tony Santillan for the bottom of the 8th inning. The Brewers battled him in the first two at-bats, but Santillan got a strikeout and a grounder after 14 pitches. Rhys Hoskins had other ideas, though, as he hammered the second pitch of his at-bat over the wall in left field to put Milwaukee up 1-0. A strikeout would follow to end the inning, but the damage was done.

Devin Williams came out of the bullpen for the top of the 9th to face Elly De La Cruz and the Reds. De La Cruz would strike out on what would have been ball four – a fastball above the zone that he swung through. Tyler Stephenson also worked a full count, but he struck out looking at a change up on the outside corner at the knees. That left the game in the hands of TJ Friedl and he worked a 3-0 count before three consecutive strikes ended the game as Milwaukee held on for a 1-0 win.

Key Moment of the Game

Rhys Hoskins’ solo home run with two outs in the 8th inning.

Notes Worth Noting

Nick Martinez lowered his ERA to 3.16 on the season with his seven shutout innings.

The two teams combined for 22 strikeouts without a single walk and just five hits. That led to a game that lasted two hours and three minutes.

With the loss, the Reds dropped the series. It’s the 9th straight series loss to Milwaukee.

Up Next for the Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds vs Milwaukee Brewers

Sunday August 11th, 2:10pm ET

Nick Lodolo (9-4, 3.93 ERA) vs TBA

Milwaukee,– More than 120 people showed up in person and nearly 100 watched via live video stream as the youngest children of WTMJ-TV Anchor Bill Taylor hosted a celebration of life for him in Milwaukee on Saturday, August 3, what would have been his 80th Birthday. The African-themed celebration took place at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2620 W. Center Street, Milwaukee, WI 53206 and opened with drummers leading the family into the assembly, a performance by the Ko-Thi Dance Company and libations being poured in honor of Bill by Omotolokun Omokunde, who traveled from North Carolina to be a part of the ceremony.

Taylor Family in attendance. (Additional version)

Former TMJ4 anchor Vivian King walked the audience through a program that incorporated community and family reflections. Congresswoman Gwen Moore, representing Wisconsin’s 4th District, kicked off the community reflections, grateful for the August celebration that finally gave Milwaukeeans a time to grieve for the anchor many grew up watching on TV. At the time of Taylor’s death on May 8, the family had asked for privacy while they processed their grief. Longtime engineer, Tony Lucas, shared how Taylor helped him adjust to a station and industry that welcomed few African Americans when he started. Retired photojournalist Andrew Triplett talked about Bill Taylor the colleague-turned friend and big brother after they spent days covering stories and supporting each other far beyond the job.

Former TMJ4 anchor Vivian King, Omotolokun Omokunde, significant other and Milwaukee County Supervisor Willie Johnson pose at the event.

Through career and family videos, those in attendance got to see Bill Taylor at work and at home. Taylor’s youngest daughter, Akua Taylor, opened her remarks by saying it was so good to be home. She talked about the impact of her father and then read an excerpt from a book he was writing about his life. Next up was Taylor’s youngest son, Kwao Taylor, sharing “Dad-isms” and stories about his father. In a surprise to the audience, he ended the celebration with an emotional tribute to his father, a rendition on the violin of “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke.

In lieu of flowers, the Taylor family asks that you donate to the Wisconsin Black Historical Society Museum (WBHSM), as Taylor was the inspiration for Clayborn Benson founding the institution.