‘Keep pushing on:’ man with cystic fibrosis travelling across Vancouver Island

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He said he started running about four years ago, when his lung function was around 75 per cent.

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Now, he said his lung function is at 95 per cent, crediting physical activity for the improvement.

There is currently no cure for CF, only treatment options, which can be expensive and time-consuming, including breathing treatments involving puffers and a nebulizer mask, which takes about 45 minutes, at least twice a day, along with a daily intake of around 30 pills.

“I go to clinic appointments roughly every three months. Recently, I’ve had about three hospital admissions. I had one in September, one in January, one in March, and that’s definitely not my normal. But that’s kind of something with CF. You can be perfectly fine one moment, the next you’re not, and I’m used to that. You just keep on pushing on.”

Darren Kerr (R) and his friend William Savage, who is following Kerr on his journey in a vehicle, keeping him safe and providing him with supplies. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Kerr’s journey started his journey on foot, running a marathon distance of 42-50 kilometres every day.

But he was hit with foot pain before reaching Oceanside earlier this week, which forced Kerr to switch tactics, purchasing a used bicycle online and continuing his journey at a slightly quicker pace, where he’s expected to travel around 80 kilometres on Thursday.

Kerr is planning for a rest day in Duncan on Friday before completing the final 60 kilometres or so of his journey, finishing at the Mile Zero Monument at the southern end of Victoria on Saturday.

Besides raising money to help find a cure, Kerr hopes his journey inspires others with CF, or anyone who feels limited by their illness.

“We may have our challenges of doing meds and whatnot, and having our days of getting sick and not feeling great. But just pushing through, and if you really put your mind to something, you can do it no matter what…and for people who have misconceptions with CF, like you’re really sick and you may like die early. No, I can live a great, normal life. I just got to do these things in order to do that.”

You can click here to donate to Kerr’s GoFundMe, and follow his progress on Instagram.

More information on CF can be found at cysticfibrosis.ca.

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