Firefighter runs half marathon in full gear to help baby in need of medical equipment

When Peter Hodges put on his bunker gear this morning, he wasn’t running into a burning building, he was running the Bluenose half marathon.

The volunteer firefighter chose to run 21.1 kilometres on Sunday to help someone who can’t run at all.

Hodges and two other firefighters have been collecting money for a very special little girl who stole their hearts.

“It’s all about community, giving back,” said Hodges. “As a fire department that’s what we always do, we’re always there for people.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's all about community, giving back," said Hodges. "As a fire department that's what we always do, we're always there for people."

Mackayla Faulkner is only 18 months old, but has already been through a lot in her young life. The baby was born with an underdeveloped brain and faces a lot of challenges.

“She can’t walk or sit up or do a lot of the things that normal, almost two-year-olds can do,” said Melissa Faulkner, Mackayla’s mother.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "She can't walk or sit up or do a lot of the things that normal, almost two-year-olds can do," said Melissa Faulkner, Mackayla's mother.

“She needs a lot of other gear to help her increase her leg muscles. Because she doesn’t move around, she can also have organ problems because she doesn’t have the movement that normal kids do.”

Mackayla is getting older and will need specialized equipment, including a walker, to help her get around.

“It will help her get the movement, so maybe some day she will walk on her own, which would be awesome,” said Faulkner.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It will help her get the movement, so maybe some day she will walk on her own, which would be awesome," said Faulkner.

The equipment Mackayla needs is expensive, which is why Hodges and other firefighters in the community have been collecting donations, to try and help the family out.

It’s also why he’s running a half marathon with 55 pounds of gear on.

“If I can put myself through a few hours of misery to help Mackayla for a few years of happiness then I’ll do it every time,” said Hodges.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If I can put myself through a few hours of misery to help Mackayla for a few years of happiness then I'll do it every time," said Hodges.

There’s no denying that Hodges stood out among the 2,000 people registered in the Bluenose Half Marathon, with all his gear on, it was pretty hard to miss him.

“It doesn’t let any heat out, so it’s like a microwave, you just sweat,” he said of his bunker gear. “I’m glad that it’s cool today.”

So far, the firefighters have raised $4,000 to help Mackayla.

“It’s amazing that your community comes together and does that for you,” said Faulkener. “They keep wishing they could do more, even though what they’ve already done is amazing.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's amazing that your community comes together and does that for you," said Faulkener. "They keep wishing they could do more, even though what they've already done is amazing."

For those who didn’t have an opportunity to donate to help Mackayla during the Bluenose Marathon, there’s still time. The firefighters have a Go Fund Me page set up to continue collecting donations.

Mackayla’s aunt has also created a Go Fund Me page to try and help her niece.