A County Durham man is set to walk the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall barefoot to raise awareness of his nephew’s rare skin condition.
Harry Hamilton, 10, from Shotley Bridge, has Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), an extremely painful and rare genetic skin condition which causes skin to become fragile and tear or blister at the slightest touch. Harry’s condition means he can be left in agony doing the simplest things such as walking, eating or holding a pen.
Harry’s condition particularly affects his feet, and his uncle Craig Hamilton, 49, is walking the wall barefoot “to feel how Harry feels on his”. Despite initially setting a target of £1,000, Craig has already raised more than £8,000 ahead of the walk for EB charity DEBRA UK, and is cautiously optimistic about doubling that by the time he completes the walk on Friday, May 24.
Craig told ChronicleLive: “I’ve done lots of standard fundraising things but last year I thought I need to do something that’s a bit more relevant and a little bit more linked to what Harry goes through on a daily basis. I’m doing a long-distance barefoot walk, so that the idea is I struggle a bit, I’m going to feel a bit of pain, and people will link the two together to understand what he goes through.”
IT worker Craig is preparing for the work by being barefoot as much as possible; at home, at work, and even when walking the dog. He says that the distance isn’t a problem, and he’s most worried about walking on the roads.
(Image: Craig Hamilton)
Sarah Hamilton, Harry’s mum, thought her brother “had to be joking” when he suggested walking the length of the wall barefoot. She said: “He’s going to be in agony walking every day.
“Harry can’t wait for him to suffer a bit, and as his sister, I also feel a bit like that! But it’s amazing that he’s doing this.”
Sarah, 43, is Harry’s full time carer and has to burst his blisters on a daily basis before dressing them with new bandages to stop any infections. She said: “It’s extremely hard, I feel like I’m inflicting pain and I should be the one who takes it away.
“That’s the worst, and he’s desperate to do things the same as other kids, but he can’t.”
(Image: Sarah Hamilton)
Despite Harry’s condition, Sarah said he “never complains about it and just takes it on the chin”. A huge Newcastle United and Sam Fender fan, she describes him as “cheeky” and having a “great sense of humour”.
And he likes nothing better than heading to Bamburgh Beach, where his grandparents live, to get a bit of relief by walking on the sand and putting his feet in the sea. Sarah added: “It’s really hard, but he’s the bravest boy ever.
“There are lots of people I have met with the condition and they are scared to do anything. He’s the complete opposite and I’m so proud of him for that.”
Craig sets off on his Hadrian’s Wall walk on Saturday, May 18 and expects to finish on Friday, May 24 at Segedunum in Wallsend. For more information on Craig’s fundraiser, visit his donation page here.
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/hadrians-wall-barefoot-charity-walk-29099344
