Tuberculosis survivor on a mission to raise awareness
Neal Stacey will be running various half-marathons every weekend until his 70th birthday at the end of the year.
MISMATCHED socks and running shoes is how tuberculosis (TB) survivor and advocate, Neal Stacey, aims to create awareness about the deadly disease.
Throughout the year, Stacey aims to raise awareness that TB remains an epidemic, causing the deaths of several millions of people each year.
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Stacey, founder of 2Feet4TB, has made it his mission to run various half-marathons in South Africa every weekend until his 70th birthday at the end of the year.
“About 34 years ago, I was misdiagnosed with pneumonia and a cold, before the tests results came back positive for TB. It is a bacterial infection, and although it usually affects the lungs, it can also affect the brain, kidneys or spine. It does not discriminate, and you will die without treatment,” said Stacey.
He has always wanted to do charity work, and as a sports coach, he decided to run and cycle. From 2017 to about 2020, he had already run 36 marathons.
“In a crowd of sponsored kits, everyone blends in. So I decided to run with mismatched socks and two different coloured takkies. It stands out, and more importantly, it sparks a conversation,” said Stacey.
Despite health issues, and doctors advising him otherwise, he continues to hit the ground running in an ongoing effort to pursue his passion of creating awareness, educating and ending the stigma surrounding TB.
“I made this pledge, and what better way to create TB awareness than in an active way? I do it for all those suffering with TB. I won’t give up,” said Stacey.
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At the end of March, he completed the Durban City Half Marathon, took part in the Amanzimtoti Parkrun and attended a placard demonstration organised by non-profit organisation FOSA (Friends of the Sick Association).
Stacey is currently in the process of writing a book about his journey with TB, his life, and the running and cycling races he has completed for a cause.
For more information, or to follow him on his journey, visit the Facebook or Instagram page 2Feet4TB.
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