Auto-immune dysfunction and long-distance running are rarely considered synonymous but that hasn’t stopped the Barnes family from putting them together for a brilliant cause.
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It’s been more than seven years since Cootamundra local Adam Barnes was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
The father of two has kept fighting and now, after a series of fundraising ventures and community initiatives such as the Colour Run, stands at the cusp of a potential cure.
A treatment has been identified that revitalises the immune system through a complex procedure involving cell removal, transfusion and reinsertion.
However, the treatment is costly and is only available in Russia.
This Saturday, April 22, at 2pm, the Cootamundra Colour Run will get under way at the Cootamundra Racecourse and mark a truly fantastic occasion for the family and wider community alike to raise money for Adam Barnes and his journey to Russia for breakthrough medical treatment.
Event organiser and Adam’s wife Hayley Barnes has worked tirelessly to get the event off the ground and was thrilled with the ongoing interest in the event.
“We’ve had 140 people sign up already which is great but there’s plenty more space for runners to attend,” Mrs Barnes said.
“We want as many runners as possible to come down and join us.”
“The treatment (for Adam) is already available in Australia to cancer and leukemia patients, but not to those with MS,” Mrs Barnes said.
“That is why it is imperative that we get Adam over to Russia.”
The Cootamundra Colour Run is the fundraising brainchild of Mrs Barnes and combines a variety of different paint powder “colour zones” with a five-kilometre running course.
Runners of all ages and aptitudes are encouraged to come down, with prizes including six-month gym memberships on offer.
For more information, please call Hayley Barnes on 0420 972 718 or go to ‘Cootamundra Colour Run’ on Facebook.
