ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — What started as a simple school assignment became something much more meaningful for 12-year-old Brady Donahue.
He decided to run 32.1 miles in 10 days to honor his 2-year-old cousin Reese, who has Down syndrome.
"I was like, 'Oh, I can still do this,'" Donahue said. "I had ten days to run 32.1 miles before World Down Syndrome Day."
And he didn't do it alone. Donahue's friends ran with him through the rain and snow of March to raise awareness.
"He came home from school that day and told us he was going to do it. He went outside in the snow and did it," his mom, Krissy Donahue, said. "His friends found out and asked him what he was doing. He told them, and they said they wanted to do it with him."
His commitment didn't stop there. Donahue also wrote a research paper on Down syndrome for school to help others better understand it.
"When he shared with us the paper that he was writing in class, it made me cry," Reese's dad, Matt Owczarczak, said. "It was something that hit home and was powerful. I think he got a 96. I would have given him a 100."
Donahue is now involved in Unified Basketball, a Special Olympics program. His family said he's always been a thoughtful kid, driven to make a difference.
"No matter who you are, what you are or where you came from, you should all be treated the same and fairly and be given the same opportunities as everyone else," he said.
