Blind 62-Year-Old Running 11,000 Miles for Cystic Fibrosis Awareness

“I’m fear-driven. I want to do everything I can for my granddaughter to extend her life, and the lives of those who are struck with this disease.” – David Kuhn

The medical community now has a more positive outlook towards cystic fibrosis (CF) management compared to how seemingly hopeless treating the disease was back in the mid-1960s, when patients suffering from CF had very slim chances of surviving past 10 years of age. Today, thanks to the ongoing, generous efforts of people from all over the world who are raising money and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis, people living with this inherited disorder of the mucous glands have a fighting chance to live past 40 years old and older, as evidenced by a recent study showing that the newest generation of CF patients are indeed living longer.

Recently, a man from Elgin, Minnesota embarked on a run as part of the ongoing effort to support the Cystic Fibrosis community, during which he plans to cover 11,000 miles as a show of support for his granddaughter and other people afflicted with CF. His name is David Kuhn. He is 62 years old, and he is blind.

During a TV interview in Minneapolis, Kuhn said the pain, suffering, and struggle to accomplish this marathon are nothing. He shared that one of his four grandchildren who is 12 years-old has Cystic Fibrosis, and he will be dedicating his latest run to her in order to raise awareness for CF, which is part of his larger goal of running the equivalent of 420 marathons within the next 1.5 years.

The 11,000 miles Kuhn plans to cover will span the country’s perimeter states. As an online platform to document and help spread his current run’s updates, he created a Facebook Page called, “It’s All I Can Do.” His end goal is to raise at least $500,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

[adrotate group=”1″]

Kuhn covers and logs an average of 20 miles of running every day, using a watch with GPS capabilities. To date, he has logged over 1,400 miles running across Minnesota. For more information on David Kuhn and how you can help, visit his blog here, or the It’s All I Can Do Facebook page.

As more time passes, the need for more effective disease management among those living with CF becomes more apparent. Just a little over a week ago, Bionews Texas reported on a study with alarming findings about CF patients being more prone to infections caused by bacterial strains resistant to antibodies.