Hamburg woman's mission to boost cash for St. Jude's will get off to rocky begin

HAMBURG, Pa. – The woods have at all times been a particular place for 10-year-old Alexandria Amadoro.

“Simply being in contact with nature, seeing all of the wild animals, and to have the ability to be in the course of nowhere,” Alexandria Amadoro mentioned.

She’s been mountain climbing alongside her dad since she was simply four years outdated. A ardour she’s put to good use, elevating cash for St. Jude Youngsters’s Analysis Hospital to assist children battling most cancers.

“I do know they are going via a battle that most individuals do not know, and the truth that they are going via that signifies that I’ve to assist them via it,” Alexandria defined.

Alexandria and her dad set off in March, with hopes of mountain climbing the greater than 2,000-mile-long Appalachian Path and fundraising via her web site, “Go Alexandria Go.”

Nevertheless, a few days into the journey, they hit a pointy bump within the street.

“Stepped on a rock, thought I hyper prolonged my knee, stored going,” Alexandria’s dad, Edward Amadoro mentioned. 

One-hundred-fifty-four miles later, Edward mentioned he couldn’t go any additional,  and in that second, they had been compelled to desert the dream.

“That day we had been driving dwelling, I needed to pull over like 4 or 5 instances trigger I used to be crying. So I would pull over, apologize to her,” Edward Amadora recalled.

They returned dwelling to Hamburg, the place, after visiting together with his physician, Edward realized he had a torn meniscus and a number of other stress fractures. Nevertheless, Alexandria by no means gave up, she instructed her dad they’d persevere.

“I consider every thing occurs for a cause, so I believed we’re meant to do that hike one other means one other time,” Alexandria defined. “… I consider that my different function is I am right here for my dad.”

It was that final sentiment particularly, that moved her dad to tears.

“Her life is such a present to me, as a result of it actually has modified me and made me need to be a greater particular person,” Edward Amadoro mentioned.

A number of months and one surgical procedure later, the father-daughter crew is again on monitor. They’ve crutches and strolling sticks in hand, and their sights are set on reaching the 200-mile marker by the top of the yr.

With every passing mile, Alexandria believes she’s one step nearer to fulfilling her function.

“It is simply the truth that I do know I’m doing good, that makes me smile once I get up,” she mentioned.

Alexandria has already raised almost $10,000 for St. Jude Youngsters’s Analysis Hospital. She additionally hopes to sometime obtain her “triple crown,” which may be obtained via mountain climbing all the Appalachian Path, the Pacific Crest Path, and the Continental Divide Path.