An 11-year-old boy is aiming to complete an epic walking challenge in a bid to raise awareness for type 1 diabetes.
Schoolboy Noah Barnes, who has type 1 diabetes, is currently on the final leg of his 4,200-mile trek across America. He was diagnosed at 16 months old and now is hoping his mighty fundraising effort could help fund major research for a cure.
He was inspired to do something to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes after watching a documentary about a man called Terry Fox who had hoped to run 3,000 miles across Canada with a prosthetic leg to raise money for charity. He never managed it as he died at the age of 22. But Noah was determined to start his own challenge and persuaded his parents to help him.
Speaking to InsideEdition.com, Noah’s father Robert Barnes said: “If he wants to try and do something, I’m going to give him everything to support that. There was this real emotional moment for me. What have I done so significant in my life that I can’t put a little bit of time helping him achieving a goal?”
Seeing their son’s dedication to his cause prompted his parents to sell their house, their possessions and leave their jobs in a bid to fully commit to Noah’s dream of completing his walk.
They began the walk on January 1, 2017 in the most south eastern point of the US and are on target to finish on December 9.
Father and son walk about 12 miles a day, depending on how Noah feels and how his blood sugar levels are. His mother provides support in finding places for them to stay each night and by home schooling all three of their children.
Robert added: “We’ve been basically relying on the generosity of the American population. It’s been 100 per cent an act of faith.”
Donate to the family’s fundraiser for diabetes research here.
