After 55 days, 1100km and over 1.4million steps, Fiona Dowdell’s epic Sydney-to-Melbourne fundraising journey finally came to an end. Clutching her hand as she crossed the finish line was the little boy who inspired it all – her seven-year-old grandson, Tristan.
When he was just four, Tristan tragically became the youngest person to be diagnosed with Friedreich Ataxia, an incredibly rare and horribly cruel neurological disease.
Image: Facebook/Tristan Fighting FA
Most common among children and young adolescents, FA damages the nervous system, leading to loss of bodily functions and, ultimately, complete incapacitation.
Just in case that wasn’t cruel enough, it’s also often accompanied by diabetes, severe spinal deformity and heart disorders – the latter of which is often the ultimate cause of death.
Only one in every 30,000 people across Australia and New Zealand suffer from FA, which unfortunately means public awareness is low and research funding is scarce.
However, Fiona's walk has gone a long way to changing that.
Flanked by over 100 people who joined her for the final, 15km leg of her journey, she triumphantly strolled into Federation Square where she was greeted by a guard of honour.
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