Fireman to tackle Marathon Walk in fire suit

Fireman to tackle Marathon Walk in fire suit

Volunteer firefighter, Paul Dennehy, will be taking part in the Moro Marathon Recreational Walk in his Level 2 fire suit on 12 September in Dunedin in support of young Cerebral Palsy sufferer Daryl-Ann Fehsenfeld.

Paul Dennehy, 44, moved to New Zealand from the UK in 1995 and has been with the Brighton Volunteer Fire Brigade for the past three years. A friendly but quite shy fellow, Paul recently realised he wanted to 'do' something that would give him a sense of accomplishment and purpose. With the Moro Marathon Recreational Walk coming up, Paul decided this would be his mission. Originally he gave no thought to a cause but then recalled an article in the Otago Daily Times about Peter Mirrielees, the Otago ITM Cup Hooker who is growing his beard in support of Daryl-Ann, a Dunedin 3 year old who suffers from severe Cerebral Palsy and epilepsy.

Paul now walks the streets of Brighton, every day after work, wearing his fire jacket and trousers, helmet and steel BA cylinder, training for an event he never imagined he’d be doing. While a certain level of fitness is required for a firefighter, Paul has never participated in such an athletic event before, let alone in a Level 2 fire suit and has a steep climb in front of him to be prepared for the Moro Marathon Recreational Walk. When the event’s co-ordinators found out what he intended to do they recommended he stop every 5kms for a blood pressure and health check, and to ventilate his body and hydrate himself. The fire suit Paul will be wearing weighs 20.5kg, and will certainly put a strain on his body and mind.

Paul has already raised over $500, with Brighton locals even chasing him down in the streets to give him donations once they’ve found out what he is preparing for.

Local news story about Paul’s endeavour.
www.ch9.co.nz/content/volunteer-fireman-putting-hard-yards

Daryl-Ann, born in Dunedin in 2006, suffers from Cerebral Palsy, epilepsy and microcephaly due to a mismanaged birth. Initially her parents were told she would not live to see her first birthday, however Daryl-Ann has defied the odds by learning to eat and drink. Soon to turn four years old, Daryl-Ann now does many of the things her peers do; attending daycare, playing musical instruments, smiling, laughing and enjoying the company of her friends and family.

Daryl-Ann received umbilical cord stem cell therapy in March 2009 to great effect. While the serious extent of her disability means she will always require 24 hour care, the treatment Daryl-Ann received in Mexico has resulted in many positive changes for her and her family:
• Weight gain of 4.5kg since treatment
• Improved head and trunk control
• Improved fine motor skills
• Improved vision
• Calmer demeanour, allowing Daryl-Ann to stay in positioning and seating equipment for longer periods of time.

All of these improvements mean Daryl-Ann now has a much better quality of life, by being able to participate in activities with her peers and travel more easily. The significant weight gain means Daryl-Ann no longer needs to be protected from normal childhood illnesses that would have otherwise required a hospital stay, this in turn gives the whole family a more relaxed life.

The family are in the process of raising another $45,000 in order to take Daryl-Ann back to Mexico for a second and final treatment of umbilical cord stem cells. They hope to go in March 2011. Full information on Daryl-Ann, as well as photos and a brief video can be found at www.darylann.co.nz.

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