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
BREAKING Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as explosions heard near Isfahan
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning as explosions could be heard near a major air base near Isfahan, raising fears of a possible Israeli strike following Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.