LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — Despite the unrelenting rain Saturday morning, dozens of friends, family and supporters gathered at Eagle Elementary for a 5K run/walk to support a member of their own community — little Ollie Thoene, who’s dealing with a progressive, fatal disease known as Batten Disease.

Seven-year-old Ollie Thoene’s life began normally. His parents, Stacy and Terry, amazed at their son — who could hit a baseball before he was three. But their lives changed in 2021, when Ollie began having seizures.

It led to a devastating diagnosis: Batten Disease.

It is a progressive disease that causes the brain cells to malfunction and die due to the buildup of waste products.

Ollie gets treatment every two weeks to slow down the progression, but there is no cure.

“His type starts when kid

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