Army Major Chris Brannigan of Surrey, England is at it again; he’s vowed to walk barefoot a second time in an effort to raise funds to find a cure for the rare disorder that his nine-year-old daughter suffers from.
Last year, Major Brannigan walked 700 miles around the United Kingdom. He raised approximately 700,000 dollars for research into the treatment of Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS).
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Though CdLS is present at birth, doctors diagnosed Major Brannigan’s daughter, Hasti, with the genetic disorder in 2019. Major Brannigan got straight to work with his first fundraising challenge.
Now, his goal is to raise enough money so that clinical trials of the treatment, already developed, can take place.
Major Brannigan vowed to walk barefoot for 1,200 miles while carrying a pack that weighs approximately 55 pounds. His marathon hike will take him from The Jackson Laboratory in Maine south toward North Carolina. Can you imagine walking barefoot down the east coast of the U.S.? That’s a father who is willing to suffer for his child!
Hasti, like other kids with CdLS, experiences a range of symptoms, including learning disabilities, growth delays, speech and language difficulties, and seizures.
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“It means lots of things that other children find easy are quite difficult for Hasti, it’s quite isolating,” shared Major Brannigan.
Medical staff told Major Brannigan and his wife Hengameh that Hasti’s condition could grow worse during the onset of puberty. So they feel they must work quickly in order to help their daughter.
Major Brannigan expects to walk barefoot and complete his trek in 53 days. During that time, he hopes to reach 3.5 million dollars, sufficient to complete the clinical trials and make the treatment available.
While this precious child certainly faces real challenges, she is clearly blessed with a devoted father. He is willing to suffer physical pain and exhaustion, put his everyday life aside, and do everything possible to help her.
Best wishes on your journey to walk barefoot, Major Brannigan! We hope your fundraising efforts here are wonderfully fruitful!
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“A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.” John 16:21
h/t: Independent
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/HopeforHasti
Hally is a freelance writer, blogger, and mental health advocate. A former school counselor, Hally works for a nonprofit that distributes tax dollars to mental health and prevention education providers that serve her county's kids and families. She's a contributor to a devotional and two essay collectives, and she shares resources and wisdom regarding parenting teens, mental health, faith, adoption, and more at http://www.hallyjwells.com where she strives to "Dig Deep and Reach High." She and her husband have three adult children and one rascally beagle pup. Hally loves travel, her book club sisters, personality tests, and a great glass of iced tea.