At the beginning of 1925 in a town called Nome in Alaska, twelve children were diagnosed with diphtheria.
Shortly after that, other people started becoming ill, therefore, appropriate steps had to be taken to prevent the epidemy. To make that possible the antitoxin was mandatorily needed and the closest place with it was located 1600 kilometres away. Due to bad weather conditions the remedy could not be transported by any ship or plane but fortunately the antitoxin was delivered to a village that was located on the way from Nenana to Nome.
It was still an arduous task to deliver the medicine to Nome’s citizens but a few brave men decided to make it happen with the help of sledge dogs. Over twenty mushers started their crucial 1000 kilometres run from Nenana to Nome fighting dreadful, frosty conditions and powerful winds. The man named Gunnar who carried the antitoxin could barely see anything as he soon got snow blindness. Fortunately for him and the whole operation, a Siberian Husky called Balto led Gunnar right to Nome and completed the task. After his arrival everyone thanked the man but he said that they should give the applause to Balto instead. The dog soon became a national hero and even a celebrity! An animated film „Balto” tells the story of the event from 1925.
Shortly after that, other people started becoming ill, therefore, appropriate steps had to be taken to prevent the epidemy. To make that possible the antitoxin was mandatorily needed and the closest place with it was located 1600 kilometres away. Due to bad weather conditions the remedy could not be transported by any ship or plane but fortunately the antitoxin was delivered to a village that was located on the way from Nenana to Nome.
It was still an arduous task to deliver the medicine to Nome’s citizens but a few brave men decided to make it happen with the help of sledge dogs. Over twenty mushers started their crucial 1000 kilometres run from Nenana to Nome fighting dreadful, frosty conditions and powerful winds. The man named Gunnar who carried the antitoxin could barely see anything as he soon got snow blindness. Fortunately for him and the whole operation, a Siberian Husky called Balto led Gunnar right to Nome and completed the task. After his arrival everyone thanked the man but he said that they should give the applause to Balto instead. The dog soon became a national hero and even a celebrity! An animated film „Balto” tells the story of the event from 1925.
In honour of Balto and his team, the Iditarod race that is almost twice as long as the first mission was founded in 1973 and has been held ever since. The dog starred in a few movies and you can find a monument in the Central Park dedicated only to him.
As I see it, the story of this brave act shows us how important the animals are and we ought not to underestimate their very useful abilities and senses as they might save our lives in the future.
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