General News
14 March, 2026
EB walk to bring Deanna through Wimmera
A Melbourne-based charity walker, Deanna Pope, will walk 750 kilometres from Melbourne to Adelaide this month to raise funds and awareness for epidermolysis bullosa, with the Wimmera to form a key part of her journey.
The EB Butterfly Walk begins on March 18 and ends on April 8, with Ms Pope set to travel through Dadswell Bridge, Horsham, Dimboola, Nhill and Kaniva before continuing into South Australia.
Ms Pope said the challenge would be unlike anything she had done before.
“This is the first time I will walk this far,” she said.
While it is her first walk of this scale, she said fundraising for DEBRA Australia was already close to her heart.
“I also run a lunch called Bubbles and Butterflies, which started 2 years ago,” she said.
“This year will be held at Caulfield Racecourse on September 11, which will also raise funds and awareness for DEBRA Australia.”
Ms Pope said she had steadily built up her endurance.
“I have taken part in short fun walks of 5 to 10 kilometres,” she said.
“My longest walk was 50 kilometres in one day.”
Her training for the event has already been substantial.
“I have walked over 760kms in training since late December 2025,” she said.
“I have also walked close to 950,000 steps in that time.”
Ms Pope said the walk grew from a desire to make people pay attention to a condition many still know little about.
“The idea for the EB Butterfly Walk came from knowing that raising awareness for a rare disease like EB requires something big,” she said.
“EB families live with incredible courage every day, yet many people have never even heard of the condition.”She said she was also inspired by others taking on extraordinary charity challenges.
“I was also inspired after seeing three brothers rowing from Peru to Australia to raise funds for charity,” she said.
“Watching their determination made me think, if they could cross an ocean for a cause, I could certainly walk across states.”
Ms Pope said the cause was deeply personal.
“My connection to EB is personal because I live with EB Simplex myself,” she said.
“This walk is my way of shining a light on EB families, their strength, and the urgent need for awareness and support.”
She said it was important to support families whose daily struggles often go unseen.
“It’s important for me to do this walk because EB families live with extraordinary challenges that most people will never see or fully understand,” she said.
“Through this walk, I hope people learn that EB is a real and incredibly challenging condition that affects families every single day.”
The Wimmera leg will cover several towns across the region, with Ms Pope scheduled to travel from Dadswell Bridge on March 24, to Horsham on March 25, then on to Dimboola on March 26, Nhill on March 27 and Kaniva on March 28.
She said she had already felt strong support from people in the area.
“I have been so lucky to have the support of the people and councils in the Wimmera Area, as many are providing accommodation for us along the way,” she said.
She said the physical toll of the walk would be one of the hardest parts.
“Physically, the toughest part will be the sheer distance, walking day after day for 750 kilometres and managing the impact that will have on my skin with EB Simplex,” she said.
Ms Pope said she would carry an important message for EB families every step of the way.
“The message I want EB families to hear is that they are not alone,” she said.
She also thanked the Wimmera communities preparing to welcome her.
“Thank you to the people of the Wimmera Area. Without your support, we could not do what we are doing,” she said.
“Thank you for embracing us and welcoming us to the region.”
Those who would like to contribute to Deanna's journey can donate through this link.