Dad walks 1,200 miles barefoot to raise awareness for daughter’s rare genetic disorder

Get this man and his daughter a pedicure stat.

Chris Brannigan is the father of 9-year-old Hasti who suffers from the rare condition Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS). Occurring in only one in 10,000 births, the race for research on CdLS pales in comparison to more common conditions such as congenital heart defects or spina bifida.

Typically worsening from ages 12 and up, CdLS appears equally in men and women, affecting growth and delaying development physically and intellectually. Currently, there are still no treatments or cures for CdLS.

Already suffering from seizures and cognition issues Brannigan’s daughter is on the precipice of what could potentially be a much further decline of her condition. So he did what any good parent would do, whatever he could think of.

The Englishman decided to hop the pond, take off his shoes and embark on a 45-day journey across the United States, sharing his daughter’s story along the way.

As a major in the British Army, Brannigan coined himself the Barefoot Soldier, wearing full combat gear and toting a 25kgs kit of essentials on his 1,200-mile trek from Maine to North Carolina.

Though there can’t be much practical training for a feat this fantastic, Brannigan did do a practice run before making his way to the states.

In March of 2020, he formed the ‘CdLS Hope for Hasti’ charity and went Barefoot Across Britain, walking 700 miles across the UK. However, the near $700,000 raised was quite short of their $3.5 million goal.

 “It’s a rare disease, so we thought it was necessary to come across the water to connect that community,” he told Philadelphia KYW Radio regarding the decision to raise awareness stateside.

Despite some gnarly calluses and a wee bit of nerve damage, this Barefoot Soldier and dedicated dad had a successful expedition ending on October 24, 2021, in North Carolina.

His journey raised $125,000 and gave him an avenue to meet with researchers across the eastern United States including CdLS experts at Children’s Hospital Philadelphia.

 The Brannigan family has quite a ways to go before CdLS gene therapy becomes reality, but so long as Chris has skin on his feet, it’s fair to say there is still a lot of ‘Hope for Hasti’.

Donate at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/BarefootAcrossBritain

Follow their journey on Instagram and Facebook: @HopeforHasti