Calgary woman hiking triple crown to help three terminal siblings
Jeanine Dalton is looking to climb three mountain peaks in one day. It's a challenging task at over 22 kilometres with an elevation of 2920 metres, but in Dalton's view, that's nothing compared to what her friends the Lamprecht family face every day at their home west of Edmonton in Evansburg.
Katie and Jacob Lamprecht have four children. Their youngest three have been diagnosed with a genetic abnormality called Juvenile Batten's Disease.
"Well it always starts with vision loss and that's how people get diagnosed," said Katie. "Starts between four and seven years old and then progresses to seizures, dementia, and loss of mobility."
It's a terminal disease that attacks the central nervous system and there is no cure. The life expectancy of someone with it is between 16 to 22 years old.
Kiara is ten, her sister Hannah is eight and AJ is five. The girls were diagnosed last November and the family just found out about AJ in June.
Jeanine Dalton used to babysit the kids when she lived in Evansburg. She's now living in Calgary and working as a licensed practical nurse but still has close ties to the Lamprechts.
"Got really close with the family," said Dalton. "They really welcomed me and took me in as their own and we just maintained that relationship over the years so I consider them like family."
She decided to take action when AJ was diagnosed with the extremely rare terminal disease.
"I've always wanted to do the triple crown and I always wanted to fundraise for a good cause," said Dalton. "It's almost like a lightbulb went off when AJ got that diagnosis, I was like of course I'm going to fundraise for this family."
3 MOUNTAINS
Her plan is to summit three mountains near Canmore: Lady MacDonald, the east end of Rundle, and Ha Ling with the help of a handful of hiking friends.
"I tried to do three mountains in one day two weeks ago just to test the waters and see how it felt," said Dalton. "So I think doing little challenges like that leading up to it will be really helpful."
Her goal is to raise $10,000 and raise awareness about Juvenile Batten's Disease. The money will go to help the family with medical costs and possible treatments.
The Lamprechts spend a lot of time researching treatments that might help their children. They found an experimental stem cell replacement treatment at Duke University in North Carolina.
"There was a lady in the states that did this with their daughter five years ago and she's shown no progression in five years," said Jacob. "But the problem is with that treatment is its $1.7 million dollars per child that you have to put down before they do anything."
Dalton will start her climb early in the morning of August 7.
Learn more about the family and how to donate here:
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.