A Kearney, Missouri family is turning their grief into a fundraiser this month, hosting the first annual “Birdies for Barrett” golf tournament to honor their son, who died at just 7 months old. Barrett Breznik was born in August 2025 with Down syndrome and a heart condition, and he died in March 2026 after experiencing liver failure. The Breznik family teamed up with Down Syndrome Innovations, a Kansas City-area nonprofit that supports individuals with Down syndrome and their families, for the tournament.
Barrett was removed from the liver transplant waitlist at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City before his death, after medical staff determined he was too ill for surgery following an infection, according to Live Action. Barrett's parents vowed to advocate for other babies with Down syndrome. Per Legacy.com, Barrett died on March 27, 2026, while receiving pediatric care at the hospital, and his parents reside in Kearney.
Ashley Breznik described her son as fierce and full of personality, and said she hopes his story inspires strength and love, according to FOX 4 Kansas City. As of this week, 17 teams had signed up for the scramble, Ashley Breznik reported, and organizers were still accepting additional golfers ahead of the event.
Tournament Details and Star-Studded Auction
The four-person scramble format event carries an $800 entry fee per team and takes place at Staley Farms Golf Club in Kansas City. Per an Instagram post
promoting the tournament, it was scheduled for a 10 a.m. shotgun start on Monday, October 19.
The silent auction, open to the public online, includes a football or helmet autographed by Patrick Mahomes, a football or helmet autographed by Travis Kelce, and a baseball signed by Bobby Witt Jr. Kansas City-area financial firm Modern Wealth Management has joined as the event's official Beverage Cart Sponsor, according to a Facebook post from the tournament's organizers.
A Nonprofit With Four Decades of Local Roots
Proceeds from the tournament will benefit Down Syndrome Innovations, whose president and CEO said the organization is honored to benefit from the event. The nonprofit was originally founded in 1984 as the Down Syndrome Guild of Kansas City, later merged with First Downs for Down Syndrome in 2017, and rebranded under its current name in 2021 when it moved into a dedicated campus, according to the organization's own history page. The organization supports individuals with Down syndrome and their families through its lifespan services program.
Barrett's Story Reached Times Square
Barrett's photo was featured in Times Square as part of a National Down Syndrome Society video presentation, according to the Courier-Tribune.
The medical circumstances surrounding Barrett's brief life reflect broader clinical realities for infants born with Down syndrome. Approximately 50 percent of all infants born with the condition have a congenital heart defect, which significantly increases health risks in their first year of life, according to the CDC. Down syndrome occurs in roughly 1 out of every 640 live births in the United States, representing about 5,700 infants born with the condition annually, per the same federal data.
A National Push on Transplant Access
Barrett's parents' advocacy touches on a broader national debate over organ transplant evaluation criteria for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The federal Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in June 2025, seeking to enforce Americans with Disabilities Act protections and prohibit transplant centers from denying organ candidacy based solely on physical or intellectual disabilities, according to the Great Plains ADA Center. Missouri is among thirteen states that have enacted state-level transplant non-discrimination legislation, per the same source.
