FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A local couple took steps from South Florida up to Maine with the purpose of helping a complete stranger with a devastating disease.
It took Brandon Mercado, Charlotte Collins and their dog 63 days, 11 states and almost 2,000 miles to trek from Fort Lauderdale to Bar Harbor, Maine.
“We got flooded out where we live in Fort Lauderdale, and we had this opportunity where we needed to move out for three months,” said Collins, “so instead of doing a bake sale or having a yard sale, selling all of our stuff, he was like, ‘What if we did this?’ And I was like, ‘I’m down.'”
All they needed was a recipient, which they found in David Appel, a Boca Raton Resident battling Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
“He had the diagnosis for four years now,” said Heather Appel, David’s wife. “So diagnosed at 34 and is now 38, and we’ve officially been home since May, but our goal is to keep him home.”
In their car covered in signage, the couple started their journey in mid-June and arrived at Bar Harbor in the last full week of August.
Mercado said they ran 1,911 miles in total.
“Per day I was running 30-plus miles,” he said.
Sponsors and passersby who encountered the couple along the way contributed over $20,000 to David’s physical therapy and at-home care.
“We reached out to Heather, we looked at their GoFundMe. It was at $40,000, and as of today, we’re past $63,000,” Mercado continued. “There’s a video out, and it’s posted, and he’s able to stand, so he’s actually progressing in a positive light.”
For Mercado, it’s the satisfaction that trumps the physical and mental struggles of his journey, knowing he’s making a difference in David’s life.
“Just remembering the purpose, like that’s what kept me going, David’s ALS. Here’s this man battling for his life and he’s not giving up, his family’s not giving up on him,” said Mercado. “To do this for 63 days, it was worth it, and no matter what I had to face out there — the pain, the stress, the weather, all of it — it was all worth it.”
The couple is back home, but Mercado had one last, emotional message for David.
“I love you. You are on my mind and in my heart every day, you’re what kept me motivated and inspired. It just gave me purpose in life, you know,” he said.
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