Blind Grandpa Running 11,000 Miles To Help Granddaughter
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (WCCO) -- At age 62, retired and blind, David Kuhn isn't your average long distance runner.
But he's averaging about 20 miles each day as he crisscrosses the country promoting a cause, in hopes of finding a cure.
On Monday, Kuhn's nationwide running campaign brought him to the Twin Cities, where he will promote an effort to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
"I'm running around the perimeter states of the United States, approximately 11,000 miles for my granddaughter who has cystic fibrosis. She's 12-years-old," Kuhn said.
Last May, he set out on a journey he calls "It's All I Can Do." It is an effort to raise both money and awareness in the battle to find a cure for the crippling lung disease.
What's so incredible is that Kuhn is challenged by his own blindness. He says his one good eye is like peering through waxed paper. That's why he prefers running with a partner or, at the very least, on high school tracks, like the one at Champlin-Park High School.
"I'm fear driven and I want to do everything I can do for my granddaughter, to extend her life and of those who are struck with this disease," he said.
Kuhn wears a runner's GPS watch to track his miles. Since his mission began back in May in Seattle, he's already logged more than 1,400 miles.
"My Garmin keeps track of my miles and as far as the track I keep focused on the white lines," he said.
Step by step, lap after lap, Kuhn says what he's tackling is nothing when compared to the suffocating struggles of Cystic Fibrosis patients like his granddaughter, Kylie.
"My pain, my suffering, my struggling is nothing compared to those," Kuhn said.
His goal is to raise $500,000 in the next 18 months. If you'd like to help, you can follow David's story and progress at It's All I Can Do or on Facebook.