An army veteran has raised over half a million pounds for his poorly daughter – by walking 700 miles BAREFOOT.
Major Chris Brannigan, 40, arrived at Edinburgh Castle after setting off from Land’s End.
He set off hoping to raise thousands for genetic testing for his eight-year-old daughter Hasti.
The father-of-three walked with a 25kg pack on his back and took 38 days to complete the incredible feat.
Supporters and loved ones cheered him at the finish line before he had a heartwarming reunion with his daughter, Hasti, when he reached the end.
Chris’ youngest child – with wife Hengameh Delfaninejad – was diagnosed in 2018 with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS), a rare and debilitating genetic condition.
The diagnosis means the young girl faces a series of physical and mental challenges, such as seizures, severe anxiety and behaviour that could cause her to injure herself, with these symptoms becoming worse after puberty.
There is no treatment or cure for CdLS, so Hasti’s devoted parents, who also have two boys, Amir, 12 and Navid, 11, set up their own charity, ‘Hope For Hasti’, where they initially set out to raise £50,000 from this challenge to go towards the £400,000 needed to fund pioneering research.
Chris said: “We knew there was something wrong, but when Hasti received the diagnosis we were devastated to be told nothing could be done for her, because the condition is so rare.
“I’ve been contacted by families with rare conditions who aren’t able to access or have the right standard of treatment, because it’s not invested in the UK.
“I feel a huge sense of injustice when it comes to children with rare disabilities, it’s like they’re forgotten.”
Chris began the arduous challenge on 6 July from Land’s End after six weeks of training from with no support crew, before making a pit stop at No. 10 Downing Street and eventually arriving at Edinburgh Castle at 7pm on 12 August.
He carried all of the necessary supplies to get through the journey himself including food, spare clothes and a tent so he had somewhere to stay.
There were times when Chris wondered if he would be able to complete the walk after a number of injuries including a particularly serious foot infection that caused him to spend three days in A&E .
But the determined dad managed to pull through.
Speaking about the walk, Chris, who serves as an officer in the Adjutant General Corps (Staff and Personnel Support Branch) said: “I realised on day one that I needed more like six months of preparation.
“There were points that I was walking on crutches and at times the pain was so unbearable that it felt like I was walking on glass.”
Chris chose to complete the challenge barefoot to do something difficult that would draw attention to his cause.
He said: “This is by far the toughest challenge I’ve ever done, there were real ups and downs but I just reminded myself why I was doing it – to give my daughter the future she deserves.”
Chris stopped in London, to drop off a letter to No. 10 Downing Street which urges for the National Framework for Rare Diseases to be reviewed and finalised by the end of this year – and has launched a petition, asking the government to invest in research and earlier diagnosis.
The National Framework for Rare diseases addresses the current inequities and gaps in the health system for rare genetic diseases.
Having raised even more than what was hoped for, additional funds will go towards the £2.5 million for treatment for people like Hasti living with life-limiting genetic diseases.
Chris said: “I’m so incredibly relieved we could raise the money and I’m just blown away by the support.
“To say it was difficult is an understatement, but it was absolutely worth it”.
To donate, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/hopeforhasti
ENDS