Constable Anton Kuraia starts 809km walk to Wellington

Anton Kuraia leads the way on his 809km walk from Whangarei to Wellington with members of the Mitamitaga Waka Ama paddlers.

Whangarei police officer Constable Anton Kuraia was joined by about 300 walkers on the first stage of his 809km journey to raise awareness about alternative cancer treatments today.

It was a colourful affair with the walkers getting into the spirit and dressing up in a variety of costumes.

There were cancer sufferers, cancer survivors and those who knew the pain of losing a love one to cancer all represented in the crowd.

Mr Kuraia himself was in a kilt with his colourful walking shoes tightly laced for phase one of his walking journey from Whangarei to Waipu.

He spoke to the crowd before starting the walk and said just over 21,000 people in New Zealand were diagnosed with cancer every year, with about 8500 dying each year.

"So what do we do?" he asked.

"Well we're doing it right now. We've come together from all corners of the community to give life to The 809 Foundation.

"And with love and compassion help New Zealanders fight cancer naturally. We are all here to keep hope alive and that's the defining message of The 809 Foundation.

"So from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of all those suffering from cancer, i thank everyone here."

Mr Kuraia, now back on the frontline in Whangarei, was was diagnosed in April 2013 with acute myeloid leukemia.

After 10 weeks in hospital and two cycles of chemotherapy, he was discharged in July 2013, and told his cancer was too aggressive and he would die within four to eight weeks, after falling into a coma.

After an overhaul of his diet, to follow the blood-type diet, with daily juicing combined with high doses of vitamin C, the 44-year-old is in remission and on a mission to spread the word.

"Anton's Walk for Hope" will take 31 days and during the journey Anton hopes to raise awareness and funds for The 809 Foundation he has created, which aims to raise funds to subsidise high-dose intravenous vitamin C to extend care and improve quality of life to cancer sufferers and help make natural alternative options affordable for people with cancer.

"For me, every step in the journey will be about hope, life and thriving against the odds. I'm doing it for every New Zealander who, like me, was sent home to die when all medical avenues for treatment had been exhausted. I'm doing it to show New Zealanders that there is always hope, even after a terminal cancer prognosis, and that there are options out there," Anton says.

"By walking down to Wellington, I will promote a social movement and charity for cancer survivors and thrivers who have come out of the hospital system and want to try something different, but can't afford it."

His wife Louise walked the first leg to Waipu.

For more information and to follow his walk go to www.the809foundation.org.nz
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