But Isaac Walker hopes his run in tomorrow’s Dunedin Marathon will help thousands of people to live longer, because he is doing it to raise awareness of the importance of donating plasma at the New Zealand Blood Service.
The 41-year-old said he was inspired to compete in the marathon soon after his son Josh, 10, was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease in 2019.
It was a plasma product that saved his son’s life.
"Basically, when we got to the hospital, he couldn’t even walk and I carried him in.
"We didn’t know if he would be coming out again.
"Seeing Josh so sick and lifeless in a hospital bed scared my wife and I."
The rare disease causes swelling and redness throughout the body and is most common in children under 5.
The symptoms stem from inflammation in the walls of small to medium-sized blood vessels that carry blood throughout the body.
Kawasaki disease can also cause inflammation of the coronary arteries, which supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart.
Most children recover without serious problems if they receive treatment within 10 days of onset, but if they do not receive treatment within that time period, the chance of lasting damage to the heart greatly increases and it can cause death.
The only known treatment for Kawasaki disease is immunoglobulin — a product derived from plasma donations — which is given intravenously.
Mr Walker said within a couple of days of having the treatment, he could see "the light" back in his son’s eyes.
A few weeks later, he had made a full recovery and was back at school.
"We had heard of donating plasma, but never realised how important it was and how easy it was to donate."
"I’m doing the marathon wearing a cape, to raise awareness around plasma donation because a lot of people don’t actually know what it is and how it helps people.
"We will always feel indebted to every single plasma donor out there, and this is the least we can do."
Mr Walker said he would be happy if he could complete the marathon in under four hours, but taking longer would not be a bad thing.
"The longer I’m out there running, the better, because more people will see me and will get curious about plasma donation."
