Chatham teen walking to Windsor for children’s hospital in London

A teenager from Chatham will be walking to Windsor on Sunday to raise money for the London Children’s Hospital.

Thirteen-year-old Joshua Taylor and his mom, Sandra Glover, plan to leave Chatham-Kent near Prairie Siding by 5 a.m.

“We started it right after my brother got his appendix taken out,” Taylor says, explaining his family’s connection to the hospital. “My sister when she was a lot younger, when she was firstborn, she had to go to the hospital and they kind of saved her life. So I felt like I should give them back what they gave me because I wouldn't have a sister and my brother.”

Ten years ago, Taylor’s sister spent two months in London with haemophilus influenza and just last month his baby brother needed emergency surgery.

“Mom posted something on Facebook and it went huge and then it got bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and then we posted a website and then it got really, really big,” Taylor notes.

The fundraiser is part of an effort called the Kingdom Project at George P. Vanier Catholic School where students are given $25 to multiply for a good cause of their choosing.

Grade eight teacher Cathy Bechard says she’s impressed with what students have done so far, encouraged students want to make a positive change.

“Every year I'm floored that kids come up with new ways to multiply their money,” she says.

Bechard believes one person can make a difference in the lives of others and is hopeful a pay it forward philosophy is instilled.

“To take this endeavour on and see what he can do with that, I am so proud of him. And it doesn't surprise me,” she says.

The walk will take place all day Sunday on the backroads along the Thames River and Lake St. Clair to avoid major traffic and will end at Stop 26 Ice Cream on Clairview Avenue in Windsor around 6 p.m.

So far, Taylor has raised close to $3,000.

He says he’d like to keep doing good deeds after this event to continue making a difference.

“I was kind of planning to keep this going because I want the world to become a better place,” Taylor says. “I feel like it's not really good right now. So maybe helping one place and giving it more money would help, but I want to do more than that.”

Glover tells CTV News donations can be picked up or e-transferred to [e-mail] or donors can also give directly to the Children’s Health Foundation online on Joshua’s behalf.