February 21, 2025
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Crunch for a Cause to benefit family of hospitalized BBCHS student

Bradley Taco John’s to dedicate fundraiser to Outerbridge family

By Stephanie Markham
Caleb Outerbridge, left, stands with his parents and siblings in this family photo. Caleb is hospitalized with a rare autoimmune disorder, and his family will be the subject of the Feb. 26 Crunch for a Cause fundraiser at the Bradley Taco John's.

Caleb Outerbridge, left, stands with his parents and siblings in this family photo. Caleb is hospitalized with a rare autoimmune disorder, and his family will be the subject of the Feb. 26 Crunch for a Cause fundraiser at the Bradley Taco John's. (Photo Provided by Jennifer Outerbridge)

BRADLEY – Next week’s Crunch for a Cause at the Bradley Taco John’s will raise money for a local family whose world was turned upside down when their teenage son unexpectedly went into a coma.

From 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26, 50% of proceeds from all participating purchases at the 484 S. Kennedy Drive restaurant will go to the Outerbridge family to offset medical expenses for their son Caleb’s health battle.

To participate in the fundraiser, customers must show the Crunch for a Cause flier, either printed or on a mobile device, or mention the fundraiser to a cashier.

Caleb Outerbridge, 16, a junior student and varsity football player at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School, is battling a very severe form of Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, a rare autoimmune disease which causes inflammation and lesions in the brain and spinal cord, according to his family’s GoFundMe page.

Caleb had always been “a strong and healthy boy” before he was found unresponsive on Nov. 25, the family said.

The family is also raising money via GoFundMe, where more than $42,000 has been raised toward the $75,000 goal.

“Our family appreciates every single thought and prayer through this extremely difficult time,” Jennifer Outerbridge, mother of Caleb, said on the GoFundMe page. “We are hoping and praying for a full recovery no matter how slow - but it really is [minute by minute]. We want our boy back so badly.”

The local Taco John’s restaurants typically schedule Crunch for a Cause fundraisers every Wednesday for a variety of charitable causes.