Sask. man cycling in memory of daughter

He’s been pedalling for 550 kilometers, but Len Peterson won’t stop. Each pedal is helping him relieve the pain of losing his teenage daughter Lauren only a month ago.

She died after a decade of pain, spending a good portion of that time in and out of hospitals.

“Whenever she would get sick from things like the flu or chicken pox, she would start to have seizures,” Len explains.

The seizures eventually led to a comatose state. Her illness was tough on the whole family.

“We did go 10 years without a diagnosis,” Len said.

But finally, a partial answer. After years of uncertainly, doctors became certain Lauren had a metabolic disorder, which affected the way her body metabolized energy.

It was too late, however. Lauren passed away on April 11.

To process what had happened, Len decided to bike across the province. He chose bicycling because he and Lauren spent lots of time together on two wheels.

“We did lots of bike riding together as a family,” Len said. “She enjoyed biking, especially this spring when the snow was melting and the sun came out. She was pretty excited about getting back on her bike.”

The trip started in Meadow Lake on May 1. By May 11 Len plans to be in Naicam, 250 km north of Regina. That is where Len is from, and where Lauren is buried.

Getting on his bike helped Len somewhat come to grips with what happened.

“It’s difficult,” he said. “But I find it’s given me time to work through things emotionally.

Along the way he’s raising money for the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan – a cause near and dear to his heart. So far, he’s already exceeded his goal of $2,500.

“It gives the kids that are suffering when they’re sick, a nice safe and comfortable environment where they can go and get treatment,” Len explained.

Anyone wanting to make a donation to Len’s campaign can flag him down on the highway or go to www.childrenshospitalsask.ca.