July is a popular month for barbecues, but the one that Christina Kantzas Bohrer and her husband Jason are hosting on July 12 is much different.

For them, the day won't be about hot dogs and hamburgers, swimming or backyard volleyball. It will be about their 7-year-old son Christopher and raising money for the brain surgery he needs.

Christopher was born at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital on June 15, 2002 ,with Tuberous Sclerosis, an incurable genetic disorder that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow in the main organs of the body and affects one in 6,000 babies. An ultrasound at eight months revealed Christopher had the disease, and that there were hundreds of small tumors in his body, two of which were on his heart.

Prior to his birth, Christopher's parents were cautioned he probably wouldn't live long enough to make it through the day.

"They told us we'd get to hold our son for about five minutes and then he'd pass away," Christina Bohrer said.

Even if he did survive, doctors said the prognosis wasn't good.

"They told us there were some miracles with children with his condition, but that he'd either be a vegetable, or, that with his heart issues, he wouldn't make it for long," Jason Bohrer said.

Despite those odds, after one week, Christopher was allowed to go home from the hospital after his stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. His parents were elated but aware that the tumors could grow or spread and that his life was far from out of danger.

At 2 months old, Christopher had many tumors in his heart, which has caused a leak in his heart and led to heart failure and surgery.

Since then, Christopher has gone through numerous MRIs and other doctor's visits to check on the status of the tumors that still remain in his body.

"The tumors can appear anywhere from his heart to his lungs to his kidneys to his eyes," Christina said.

It's hard to tell from looking at Christopher that anything is wrong with him. He has a round birthmark on his forehead and several white patches on his skin that are the only outward signs of the disease. Developmentally, Christopher is slightly behind his peers but has a special education aide in his classroom and his speech and occupational therapy provided to him.

"If you were to look at our little boy, you would never know that he was going through all this," Christina said. "He was blessed with a wonderful personality and loving heart."

Recent doctor visits revealed that Christopher has four tumors in his brain, one of which has to removed because it will continue to grow and will block the flow of fluid to the brain. He will undergo brain surgery on Aug. 14 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

The surgeon who will perform the surgery -- the country's leading pediatric neurosurgeon -- is out of the Bohrers' insurance network, leaving them with at least $10,000 to pay toward the surgery, possibly more.

They have held two tag sales to raise the money to cover their cost of Christopher's surgery. They hope to raise the rest on July 12 at the barbecue.

The event will be held at 2 p.m. at 139 Houston Terrace in Stamford. The cost is $10 per adult with children 12 and under free. There will be a disc jockey, jumpy castle, sand art and face painting.

Many local stores have provided the Bohrers with gift cards to help buy the food and a DJ has volunteered his services for the day.

For more information, visit http://cjbohrer. chipin.com/christopher-bohrer

© 2009 The Hour Publishing Co.