Dust off your running shoes in time for the end of April and get out of breath for a good cause.
Last year, Dubrovnik locals and visitors opened their hearts and ran 5K in order to raise 40,000hrk for the treatment of Karla Sentic, a 17 year old from Dubrovnik who was suffering from an aggressive and stubborn type of cancer called Ewings Sarcoma. It’s time to do it again:
Nevio Kresic is a six year old boy from Konavle, a picturesque, pine covered region just south of Dubrovnik, close to the Montenegrin border. Despite his smiling face and visible lust for life, Nevio is the only person in the whole of the Republic of Croatia who has officially been diagnosed with Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism (type 2), a rare and mysterious syndrome which was characterised only in 1982.
There are several types of primordial dwarfism, including numerous subtypes. Such syndromes are so rare that little information on them exists publicly and misdiagnosis and medical errors are very common. Children suffering with some sort of primordial dwarfism are usually told their lack of growth is due to poor nutrition, or that they have some sort of underlying digestive or metabolic issue which is not allowing for adequate nutrient absorption. Frustratingly, it is usually not until a child reaches 5 or 6 years old that primordial dwarfism can be diagnosed with a sense of confidence.
Short stature and frequent strokes are among the symptoms commonly associated with this group of unusual syndromes, and those suffering have an unenviably short life expectancy of about twenty years. Despite having such an incredibly rare disease about which very little is known and struggling with frequent operations and interventions; Nevio’s serene energy can be felt and his sincere smile rarely leaves his face.
The race for Nevio will take place on Sunday the 30th of April 2017, starting from Stradun, around the city walls, to the pool in Gruz, back over Boninovo to the finish line on Stradun. The fee is just 60kn, and everyone registered will receive a commemorative 5K T-shirt and a medal. For those not running but wishing to donate, there will be a fan package containing a T-shirt and cheering props.
DU Motion invites you to open your heart and join this humanitarian race to show Nevio your support through the one thing that has always successfully brought people together and allowed the generosity of the human spirit to shine through – sport.
