It's not every day we read about teens like 15-year-old Hunter Gandee. In an attempt to raise awareness for an issue close to home, he's become a role model both for his brother and his community at large.
Hunter's 8-year-old brother Braden struggles with a form of cerebral palsy. In an effort to raise awareness about the condition, Hunter launched his "Cerebral Palsy Swagger" walk in March of last year. In 2014, ABC News reports that the 40-mile walk helped raise $130,000 for a new playground at Douglas Road Elementary School, where his brother is a student. The renovations allow Braden to be able to access the play structures with ramps for his walker. This year, Hunter carried his brother on his back for a 57-mile walk from Braden's school in Lambertville, MI to the University of Michigan’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Center in Ann Arbor that took him three days to complete.
“I wanted to show people the struggles that Braden has to go through daily. I wanted to go out and show people we can make the world a better place for people with cerebral palsy,” Hunter told ABC.
He and his fellow walkers were greeted at the finish line by friends and family, as well as supporters like Maureen Kijek, 44, of Shelby Township, MI. "When I first heard about this last year, I immediately started crying," Kijek told MLive. "As a parent (of a child with cerebral palsy) you feel alone so often. It's nice to see a community come together in support."
Listen to the full story below, and please SHARE this post to spread the word!
