A Manitoba RCMP officer with one kidney has returned from an adventure that saw him cycle over 600 kilometres in less than a week.
Ben Harder felt called to organize this event after discovering his friend's son was battling a rare form of kidney disease. This hit close to home for Ben.
"My brother was diagnosed with a kidney disease called IgA nephropathy almost 15 years ago," said Ben. "Two years ago, in the summer of 2021, the doctors finally allowed us to do a kidney transplant."
Ben says he and his brother were very close growing up, so giving up a kidney was a no-brainer.
"Seeing the way he had to live in that time was tough. He couldn't even take care of his kids. He was too tired, just sick. So that was tough for me. And if I could do something to help, I just wanted to try to do it."
From one selfless act to another, Ben decided to head out on a 983-kilometre, two-week bike ride from Defiance, Ohio, to a Church Conference in Decatur, Alabama, to raise funds for his friend, Aaron's son, Alex, who is currently battling kidney disease.
Ben and his team hit a few hiccups along the way, including flight delays, exhaustion and strong winds. However, they still completed over 665 kilometres over five days and raised $52,400, exceeding expectations.
Today on Connections, Ben shares what that journey was like and how these funds will impact Alex and his family.