He is preparing to walk the length of Offa’s Dyke over the course of six days to raise money for Abbie’s Army, which funds medical research to give hope to families. Abbie Mifsud was six years-old when she died of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an inoperable and incurable cancer in her brainstem.
DIPG is an extremely aggressive cancer which currently has no effective treatment options and almost exclusively affects young children under the age of eleven. Abbie died in 2011 just five months after her diagnosis.
Butler said: “The average survival time from diagnosis for a child with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma remains staggeringly low at just 9-12 months, and heartbreakingly families are forced to watch as their child loses their vital functions and abilities before their eyes.
“Abbie’s Army is an amazing charity that raises funds to support crucial research into this cruel disease and supports families going through this horrific, life-changing ordeal. I’m a lucky father to my three-year-old son Arthur and I’ve been following the stories of families affected by DIPG for a while.
“I can’t imagine the suffering such young children that are affected have to go through and the distress this causes their loved ones. Inspired by the stories on @abbies_army's page, I decided to take on this challenge to raise money. I’ve been training for it since November with lots of 28 mile plus walks in mid Wales.
“The trek will consist of five days of back-to-back ultra marathons, starting in Prestatyn and ending with a final day’s eighteen-mile descent into Chepstow on the sixth day.”
So far Butler has raised over £2,800 for the charity. To donate visit here.