Dakota Boeglin benefit slated for December 15

A benefit pork chop and fried chicken dinner for Dakota Boeglin will be held Sunday, December 15, at the Ferdinand American Legion.

Dakota Boeglin entered the world at 3:35 p.m. on April 6, 2012, weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces and measuring 23 inches. A beautiful boy in almost every way, a “birthmark” covered the left half of his scalp, extending over his left eye and down his cheek.

The “birthmark” caused the doctor concern and he immediately called in a pediatrician.

Dakota’s birthmark was diagnosed as a Congenital Hairy Nevus and within a couple of months, the family was seeing a specialist in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dakota’s is a rare form of nevus, which has a 90% chance of becoming malignant before it can all be removed.

At 13 months of age, Dakota began a series of surgeries — between 20 and 30 in all — to remove the nevus. Now, at 18 months, Dakota has endured 11 operations and just over half the nevus is gone.

But, he still has a long way to go.

His mother, Michelle, performs weekly saline injections into ports on his head to expand the tissue, preparing for skin grafts.

“Some days are better than others,” Michelle says, “but he is still playing, smiling, laughing and bringing joy to those around him.”

Dinners are $10 per plate and include a pork chop or fried chicken, a baked potato or potato salad, sweet and sour slaw or green beans, plus dessert. Dine-in and carry-out service begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Mock turtle soup in bulk and baked goods will also be available while supplies last.

Pre-orders are now being taken. Mail a check payable to Dakota Boeglin to Dakota Boeglin, P.O. Box 71, Ferdinand, IN 47532 or drop off orders at the Ferdy Flyer.

For those who wish to help Dakota but cannot attend Sunday’s benefit, a special account for donations has been set up at German American Bank.