They’ll cross rivers, walk up and down hills and cover some 500 kilometres in just two weeks.
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But every long journey begins with that one, first step.
Tamara and Andrew Kennedy and her dad Steve Noack set out from Port Macquarie’s Flagstaff Hill on Saturday morning (June 16) to raise funds and awareness into scleroderma research.
The walk is personal. Tamara’s mum Trish is dealing with the condition which causes hardening of the skin and affects internal organs, including the heart, liver and kidneys.
There is no known cure. So the tight-knit family decided to do something about it.
Their first walk last year raised some $30,000. Better still, Tamara says, it also raised awareness.
“Our aim is to engage with people as we walk along and during our last walk, there were plenty of people who stopped us to ask questions about scleroderma,” she said.
“As well, we love the community spirit that shines through in every town we walk though. So, if you see us on the road, toot your horn and give us a wave.
“That is pretty magical to experience.”
The pre-planning for the walk has been months in the making and included a drive along the full distance about four weeks ago.
As well, we love the community spirit that shines through in every town we walk though. So, if you see us on the road, toot your horn and give us a wave.
- Tamara Kennedy
Unable to walk on the highway, the route covers mostly coastal areas with plenty of hills and three water crossings.
And the trio’s training has included waking at 4am each morning before working a full day. They would then train at night too.
Tamara says research continues to break new ground with Trish undergoing a recent stem cell transplant.
“It is a radical trial being undertaken,” she said. “But there is still so much to do in the research side of things.
“They have made some developments and we hope that in a few years’ time they will be able to treat scleroderma a lot like the advancements currently being made in cancer treatments.
“They are experiencing some really good results,” she said.
The fundraising walk will include 40 kilometres each day with the first overnight in Laurieton on Saturday June 16. They plan to arrive in Narellan on June 29.
Scleroderma is classified as an autoimmune disease meaning a person’s immune system works against itself.
The normal immune system protects the body by fighting off foreign invaders such as viruses and infections but in an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakes a person’s own tissues as foreign invaders and sets up a protective attack that backfires to cause problems.
To chart their journey click here
To donate to 500,000 steps for Scleroderma click here.