Teen begins 57-mile walk with brother on back for a cause
LAMBERTVILLE, Mich. - A 15-year-old Michigan boy who last year walked 40 miles carrying his brother on his back to raise awareness about cerebral palsy has embarked on another such endeavor, this time 57 miles long.
Hunter Gandee was 14 years old last June when he carried then-7-year-old Braden on his back for two days. Cerebral palsy prevents Braden from walking without assistance. They traveled from their hometown of Temperance to Ann Arbor.
Hunter Gandee told CBS News last year that he was six-years-old when his brother was born, so he was old enough to know about his brother's condition.
"I knew that he would have difficulty walking and may never be able to do it on his own," he said.
"Whenever I've going through something that's difficult and doing something that's hard, I see him and how he worked through it, and it just kind of pushes me through," Gandee added.
Braden Gandee told CBS News prior to last year's walk that he was excited about the mission, saying, "It's going to be hard for me and Hunter but I think we can do it."
This year's "Cerebral Palsy Swagger" started Friday at CP Swagger Shipyard, a playground they raised money for at Braden's elementary school in Lambertville. As of midday, the boys' mother Danielle Gandee says they're about a mile into their journey.
The walk ends Sunday in Ann Arbor.