New Vancouverite John Buchan is about to get very familiar with nature’s staircase, as he’s planning on hiking to the top every single day for 31 days straight.
For Buchan, fitness is an afterthought as he ascends Grouse Mountain. Every step he climbs, he says, is a reminder of the time he spent fighting for his life at Toronto’s SickKids children’s hospital.
Buchan was born six weeks premature and battled Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome, with doctors telling his parents he had a 50 per cent chance of survival. Now, he is set on giving back to the organization that saved his life.
“I was immediately sent to SickKids’ hospital for 19 days in an incubator,” he said.
“If it weren’t for them, if I were born 10 years before, I simply wouldn’t have made it.”
His goal is to raise $31,000. All the money raised will be split between BC Children’s Hospital and SickKids.
Buchan’s mother, Lorraine Legault, recalls those long nights at SickKids hospital and is proud that he’s giving back to other children who are in a similar position to his 28 years ago.
“The power of love… that’s what it looked like in action,” Legault said.
“We never let him go for two weeks; he gained all the weight and had a tremendous recovery.”
For every trip up the Grind and every dollar raised, Buchan hopes he can leave a lasting impact.
“Going by hospitals and seeing what’s going on in the world right now, I want to give my own piece of the pie and want to make a difference for the children.”