A family that relies on Ronald McDonald House Charities is helping raise money for their home away from home.

What You Need To Know

Fred Ginman is training for Fred's Fun run, which kicks off Tuesday.

Ginman, 11 years old and from Brazil, dreams of one day walking freely. He and his mother, Isabela Amaral, travel from Brazil to get Fred powerful physical therapy to help him reach that goal.

Since 2012, the mother and son have spent more than 600 nights at a Ronald McDonald House.

But this trip is different. Getting physical therapy during a pandemic has changed things.

Fred could not go to the clinic anymore, so we had to stop everything," said Amaral. "So that caused a Fred a little bit of delay on his improvement.”

Delayed but not discouraged. Fred does some sessions in the Ronald McDonald House where they have made room for him, and now he's back to two or three sessions a week at the clinic. While Fred's sessions are not as frequent, he keeps moving, he's training for his fun run.

It will take Fred 10 days to complete the 5K. He will do laps around the backyard of one of the St. Petersburg Ronald McDonald Houses.

He will do it using the frame walker, the walking canes and sometimes holding my hand," said Amaral.

The community can support him by sponsoring him or participating, virtually.

It is awesome because everybody is cheering up for me," said Fred.

People from around the world will be cheering for Fred.

Reach people in Brazil because (we) have friends there, in Australia as well is family over there as well, so we hope that we will reach a lot of people,” said Amaral.

Mom says it's important to give back to the house that has given so much to them.

We feel so thankful to be here, otherwise Fred wouldn’t be walking like he is now.”

From walking to friendships, their extended family helps keeps them going.

All the money raised from Freddy’s Fun run will go to feeding our families and the extra supplies and support they need during COVID," said Lisa Suprenand, Executive Director, RMHC of Tampa Bay.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, volunteers donated food and cooked meals for the families. Now, because of the pandemic, the houses are closed to volunteers and that help to prepare all those meals for all those families of sick kids.