St Patrick’s Primary students have collectively run the distance to Wet n Wild out of compassion for sick kids.
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The school held a fun run on Friday during which students ran their hearts out in solidarity with Andrew Biszczak as he makes his way from Adelaide to Brisbane for the Butterfly Children of Australia.
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Andrew’s ‘The Million Dollar Run’ is aiming to raise the million dollars needed to fund stage one research to find a cure for people with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).
Children with the disease are often called “Butterfly Children” because their skin is as delicate as butterfly wings, Andrew told students as he dropped by the school on his way north.
“They live their entire lives in constant, unimaginable pain - where their skin blisters at the slightest touch,” Andrew said.
Teachers at the school had given a lesson on the disease to prepare students for Andrew’s presentation.
The children were visibly moved by the information and bombarded Andrew with heartfelt questions about the disease and the children affected.
“Can the butterfly kids still do normal kid stuff?”, asked one student.
Andrew played the students a video featuring EB ambassador Johnny, a cheeky thirteen year old boy just like any other, except that his morning routine before school involves an agonising two and a half hour bath filled with bleach and QV lotion to bathe his blistered skin.
“The saddest thing is that these kids often don’t get invited to any birthday parties, because people are a bit worried about how different they seem,” Andrew said.
“But in your life you will meet lots of people who are different to you, and it’s important to remember that each person is special in their own way.”
“Does anyone know why this happens to these kids?”, one student asked.
Andrew explained to the children that noone yet knows what causes the condition in which the proteins which hold layers of skin together are missing.
“That’s why I’m doing this run,” Andrew said.
The real estate agent sold his home in order to fund the campaign, and together with his wife Sonia, daughter Tiffany and dog Jesse, is running the 3000km to raise awareness and enough donations to get to that magic million dollar mark.
So far the campaign has raised just over $124,000, but Andrew is still holding out hope for corporate donations in order to achieve his financial goal.
School captains Kyle Seymour and Caitlin Mann presented Andrew with a cheque for $566.80, the amount the children had raised through their fun run efforts.
Andrew thanked the children and praised them for their efforts saying that he was truly humbled by their support.
“No other school that I’ve visited on my journey has put in this much effort and shown me this much support. Every one of you is very special,” Andrew said.
Donations can be made at www.themilliondollarrun.com.au