Cale James Breitenfeldt, 22 months old, of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, died surrounded by his loving family on June 25, 2026. He faced mitochondrial disorder/Leigh syndrome with incredible bravery and strength. He was born on August 22, 2024 in Wausau, Wisconsin a son of Annie Novak and Jordan Breitenfeldt.
He loved playing with his sisters, laughing with his dad and being snuggled by his mom. He was excited to spend his days this last year with his Oma as she cared for him and played with him with such love. He adored listening to songs or books, playing in his ball pit, riding in his Cozy Coupe or crawling after his sisters. His cousins and extended family brought endless smiles to his days and he could light up a room with his smiles and laughs. Although his life was short, he brought infinite joy to his family, friends and all who came to know him.
Cale will be forever missed by sisters, Zoe and Aubrey Breitenfeldt, maternal grandparents, “Papa” Tom and “Oma” Karen Novak (Antigo/Three Lakes), paternal grandparents, “Grandpa” Jeremy and “Grammy” Tammy Wilhelm (Bryant), “Auntie” Jessie and uncle Joe Marshall and cousins, Colton and Wyatt (Pelican Lake), uncle, Logan Wilhelm and his girlfriend Bailee Vander Sanden (Bryant), as well as many other extended family members and close friends.
We are grateful to his primary pediatrician Dr. Kylene Draeger and his care providers from UW Madison American Family Children’s Hospital specifically the genetics, palliative and GI teams who cared for Cale so thoroughly and thoughtfully. We also appreciate the mitochondrial medicine specialists at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who provided hope and care for Cale throughout his journey. We are thankful to the Compassus Hospice Team who helped provide comfort in Cale’s final days at home.
The family will have a private celebration of life at a later date.
Any monetary donations can be given to helping find a cure for mitochondrial disorders through Cure Mito Foundation (https://www.curemito.org/) or United Mitochondrial
Disease Foundation (https://umdf.donordrive.com/general-donations/donate).
Bradley Funeral Home in Antigo is assisting the family. For an online obituary and condolences go to www.bradleyfh.com
