Cookie sales help fund boy's cross-country trip for surgery

Three-year-old Alex Ahlbrecht needs to get to California.
One of the nation’s top pulmonary surgeons at Stanford Medical in Palo Alto, California, has agreed to perform a difficult and possibly life-saving operation on young Alex this November.
Alex and his parents, Stephanie and Craig Ahlbrecht of Waterville, just have to get there.
“We’re going no matter what. He needs the surgery,” explained Stephanie. “But, it’s not going to be easy, especially financially, even with medical insurance.”
Doctors told the Albrechts to plan to stay in California between five and seven weeks—that’s if all goes well. Their stay could be longer based on how the surgery goes and Alex’s recovery.
The Albrechts estimate that their travel and basic living expenses during that time could reach $10,000.
“Between gas and just the basics—like paying the mortgage and eating peanut butter sandwiches—it adds up quickly. Plus, we’ll need to pay to keep Craig’s medical insurance through work,” Stephanie explained. “Craig works at Builders First Source and has some vacation days coming, but will burn through that quickly. We’ll have no income for a period of time while we’re out there.”
To raise the cash they’ll need to make the trip and not return home heavily in debt, the Albrechts started holding bake sales at Stephanie’s place of employment, Davis’ MarketPlace in Waterville.

Find the full story in the June 6, 2019, Lake Region Life or Elysian Enterprise.