Royal Canadian Air Force Capt. Aaron Niles is preparing to hit the road next week for the third annual Ruck for a Cure, a fundraiser inspired by his younger brother’s cancer journey.
On Friday, Sept. 8, Niles, a former broadcast journalist who joined the RCAF a little over four years ago as a public affairs officer at nearby CFB Borden, will pack up his rucksack with 30 pounds of flour (he says it serves as the most comfortable way to fill the rucksack for the trek) and begin the 30-kilometre march from at 16 Wing HQ on the base to the Simcoe-Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre in Barrie.
At only four months old, Niles’s brother Sean was diagnosed with infantile acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bones. Despite undergoing a variety of different forms of chemotherapy treatments at SickKids Hospital in Toronto over the course of three years, nothing was working to beat the cancer.
“At one point, they approached us and said they’d done everything they could and they didn’t see any other way to fight the cancer … and gave him about 30 more days to live, which is obviously very devastating," Niles tells BarrieToday.
Luckily, doctors approached the family with an idea and proposed an experimental form of chemotherapy treatment that was being tested in the United States at the time.
“They thought it would have a chance to trick the body into further fighting the cancerous cells," says Niles, 31. "It worked and led to a successful bone marrow transplant."
That in itself was a miracle, because his brother only had two matching donors. Sean is adopted and is a mix of Indigenous, Jamaican, Caucasian, and Filipino, which leads to a very small donor pool.
“I know I am very fortunate to have my brother here today thanks to all of the staff at SickKids Hospital, but not everybody is as fortunate as myself so I always felt there was a responsibility — and in some cases a burden — placed upon me to give back in some way,” Niles says.
Niles brainstormed about how best to give back, which is when he came up with the idea for this fundraiser, adding a 'ruck' is a military term for a weighted backpack used in training to help build cardio and muscle strength. The weight is created using materials that would be used in the field, ranging from sleeping bags to water and food.
“This was a way for me to put 30 pounds into it, that number representing the 30 days my little brother was given, then (walk) 30 kilometres and with a goal of raising $30,000," he adds.
As of the end of last year’s walk, which took Niles just shy of seven hours to complete, he had raised just under $6,000 — a total he hopes to surpass this year.
All of the money raised will be donated to the local cancer centre, he says.
“I want to do something to give back toward cancer, whether it be for research itself or treatment and it made sense that as I was working at the Air Force Wing here at the time (I started it) and the closest cancer centre was Simcoe-Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre," Niles says.
"Almost unintentionally, I found out the exact distance from the Wings toward the cancer centre was 29.7 kilometres. It was almost like it was meant to be, which furthered that theme of 30," he adds.
Niles is scheduled to begin his walk — flanked by the 16 Wing commander and 16 Wing Chief chief warrant officer - who will accompany him to the edge of the base — at 8 a.m., Sept. 9, before proceeding along County Road 90 into Barrie, along Queen Street to Duckworth Street and ending on Georgian Drive.
Having the support of his military colleagues is humbling, he admits.
“I think it’s important to have support, whether it be military or civilian. I’ve never been one who was comfortable sharing my feelings," Niles says. "I’ve always wanted to be a beacon of strength and (a person) that someone could rely on for help, while not being comfortable asking for that same help.
"This has been one of those things that, once I announced I was doing this Ruck March, a lot of people were surprised to find out this was something I was going through. As an act of catharsis, I’ve (found) support from others to help make it easier.”
Sean is now 13 years old, healthy and doing well, Nile says.
“I am truly blessed to have him alive,” he says, adding Sean and his father will be driving beside him during his trek, with Sean joining him on foot for the final kilometre.
“It’s very meaningful for my little brother to realize that this is all for him," Niles says. "He went through so much — something I can never imagine myself going through. He has more strength than I do. So I feel a responsibility to give back in his honour to make sure others are able to still have their loved ones alive as I have my brother still with me.”
Niles welcomes anyone interested to join him along the way, adding rain or shine, he will be out there marching one foot in front of the other.
“Cancer doesn’t stop, so neither will I.”
