200 Miles Closer to Dad

For a 6 year old boy, losing his father is among the worst things that could ever happen to him. This is my story.

On August 31st, 2013, my dad died of sarcoma, a rare type of cancer. Being this young, I never truly understood the profound effects this would have on my family and me. At that age, the thought that my dad would just come home was always present in my mind. However, after a few years of wishful waiting, I had to accept the reality he would never set foot in our house again.

Since then, I’ve always wanted to do anything in my power to help find a cure for this unforgiving disease. My mom, similarly, embarked on several seemingly impossible challenges to raise money for a cure. For example, having never climbed a really high mountain before, she planned to conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro, one of the world’s seven highest summits. Even with the odds being against her (she was not in shape, had to provide and care for 3 kids while working full-time), my mom not only summited the peak, but she raised thousands of dollars doing so.

It is my mission now to take action and do something that I never thought I’d do. I plan to walk 200 miles – from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain – in June-July 2024 with the goal of raising money for the Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA). I will document my journey to completing this challenge on my blog and on my Instagram. Please follow along and, if you can, donate to this fundraiser. All proceeds are going straight to the SFA (registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, meaning all your donations are tax-deductible). Every dollar raised will help fuel the underfunded research for a sarcoma cure.