A Birkdale couple are taking strength from their son and running 84 kilometres this August to raise vital funds for sick children.
Children’s Hospital Foundation’s virtual marathon 42k Your Way returns this month and encourages the community to walk, run or roll their way to 42 kilometres to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
This fundraising challenge allows participants to complete the distance over a day, a week, or spread across multiple days before the end of August.
Birkdale couple Tristan and Caitlin MaCrae have taken this challenge to a new level by running twice the distance with a total of 84 kilometres for their five-year-old son Ricky.
Ricky has battled health concerns with his rare developmental condition CDKL5 since he was born and is unable to speak, walk, eat by mouth, or hold his own head up.
CDKL5 deficiency disorder is a rare development epileptic encephalopathy caused by mutations in the CDKL5 gene and has affected Ricky in all aspects of his life.
Tristan MaCrae said that although running does not come easy for the family, this fundraiser was a great way to encourage being active for a good cause.
“Since we are a family of four we will always try to complete our kilometres together,” he said.
Mr MaCrae said Queensland Children’s Hospital has nine teams that looked after Ricky and the funding would go all through the hospital.
“The funding also goes towards research not just for Ricky but for other children with other conditions,” he said.
Mr MaCrae said the funds would go towards the little things such as premade meals for families who spend a long time in hospital.
“Even just having a premade meal sitting in the hospital fridge is one less thing to worry about,” he said.
Donate at 42kyourway.org.au.
