HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2016-08-24, Page 1414 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Youngster eager
Goderich Kidney
Shaun Gregory
Huron Expositor
Christopher has a heart of
gold, unfortunately he
wasn't blessed with the best
of kidneys, or in a more tech-
nical term -kidney. But none
of that stuff will matter to
him when he leads the
Goderich Kidney Walk next
month.
These health occurrences
all started for the 11 -year-
old Brussels resident in
October of 2014 when doc-
tors told him that he had an
auto -immune disorder
known as Henoch-Schon-
lein Purpura. This is a con-
dition that causes small
blood vessels to become
inflamed and aggravated.
After this diagnosis the
medical staff did an ultra-
sound and discovered that
Christopher had been born
with only one kidney.
"It doesn't happen often,
but it wasn't something that
the doctors were completely
shocked by," said Christo-
pher's father, Mark Penning-
ton in a recent interview.
"Most people don't get an
ultrasound on their kidneys,
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to lead
Walk
so we would have never
known."
Since then it's been a long
road for the Pennington's
and they are determined to
not let the disease win.
Christopher lives a normal
life like most boys his age. All
year round he plays sports,
from throwing fastballs and
winning a silver medal in the
Provincial -A champion-
ships, to stopping pucks as a
goalie in Blyth -Brussels
Minor Hockey. His dad
refers to his life as "status
quo," when all his medica-
tions are working properly
and he can keep the disease
at bay.
Across the nation, it's
believed, one out of every
10 Canadians has kidney
disease, according to the
Kidney Foundation of
Canada.
Christopher is aware of
the statistics for his condi-
tion and is very educated in
the disease he lives with
every day.
"In London the specialists
make sure when the kids are
old enough that the kids
know exactly what's going on
and if they don't understand
they talk to Chris and explain
everything to him," stated
Mark.
His education and deter-
mination to understand the
disease had led Christopher towards a path to help
in a direction to not just help others.
himself; it also has pointed That is the main reason
Submitted photo
Christopher Pennington, 11, from Brussels has been chosen to be the honourary chairman for the
Goderich Kidney Walk.
why the youngster created
Christopher's Crew, an ini-
tiative he and a couple
Tarewell to Summer
Fireworks
When: Sunday, September 4
R . f.
Time: Dusk (approx. 8:30pm)
1
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Where: Seaforth Ag Society Grounds ,°.0.
140 Duke St. Seaforth
Donations to the Seaforth Fall Fair
Brought to you by:
——
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s: .11' !1I u'Y•' r;:
ea ort uronex s ositor.co
buddies started. Last year
when he was the honourary
chairman for the Kidney
Walk in Owen Sound, they
managed to gather up
about $6,000. This year he's
raised between $1500 and
$2000 of the initial goal of
$4,000 for the Goderich
Kidney Walk.
"He knows why we're rais-
ing the money, it may not
help him in his life but it
could help someone else
down the road," Christo-
pher's father said while also
adding that all the money
goes to the Kidney
Foundation.
The Goderich Kidney
Walk in support of Kidney
Disease and Organ Dona-
tion Awareness is taking
place September 11 at the
Boardwalk on the Goderich
Waterfront. Locals are urged
to get a team together and
collect pledges. Registration
begins at 9 a.m. with open-
ing ceremonies at 9:45 a.m.
followed by the walk at 10
a.m.