Sask. father embarks on marathon-run to fund a cure for diabetes
One Humboldt man had set a goal to complete a four-mile run, every four hours for 48 hours over the Saskatchewan Day long weekend.
Jason Holtvogt is raising awareness for Type One diabetes and the challenges families face when caring for a family member. His daughter Aubree, the youngest of four, faces these challenges daily.
“You're waking up every few hours to check on your daughter in this case, on her sugar levels, so you're waking up every few hours to check on the sugar levels just to make sure that she's not too high or too low,” Holtvogt said. “I thought (the run) really resembled what a parent of a diabetic goes through, and also a diabetic caregiver.”
On July 30 Holtvogt began the 4x4x48 challenge, a routine made popular by American marathon-runner David Goggins.
Holtvogt, 44, said he’s been training for months leading up to this challenge he’s called T1D (Type One diabetes) 4x4x48. With the help of local dieticians, trainers and chiropractors Holtvogt knew this wasn’t going to be easy.
He’s raising money for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation Canada (DRIFCan), a research group out of the University of Alberta.
“Dr. James Shapiro and his team at the Alberta Diabetes Institute (ADI) are actively researching, collaborating and conducting ongoing clinical trials to accelerate the pace of diabetes research to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes,” Holtvogt said. “The goal of the run is to raise funds for a cure for T1D.”
During his run Holtvogt has crossed $12,000 but he hopes to get to $100,000 before the 48 hours is up.
“(Dr. Shapiro) needs $22 million to get this going and we really wanted to focus all our efforts on getting him his money so that he can do this stem cell research,” Holtvogt said. “With any possibility of our daughter not having to deal with diabetes at an older age.”
You can follow Holtvogt’s story on Facebook and donate to his cause.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.