Back in 1925, many towns in Alaska were facing a dangerous sickness called diphtheria. Diptheria made it hard to breathe, caused trouble with the heart, and at worst, could cause death. The people most affected by this sickness were kids!
The only medicine that could help was hundreds of miles away. There are different ways to travel in Alaska. One of the best is by airplane–however, there was only one airplane available and its engine was frozen and wouldn’t start. The only way to get the medicine from Anchorage, Alaska to Nome where it was needed involved using some furry friends–sled dogs!
Sled dogs are used to carry many things across the frozen tundra. They team up side by side in a long line. At the end of the line is a sled carrying a a driver (called a “musher”) and a load which is often mail, food, or other supplies. Sled dogs run together over many miles. Often different teams take turns carrying things for one another. When one team gets tired, another team is usually ready to keep the load going.
When the young people of Nome, Alaska started getting sick with diphtheria, they needed medicine fast. Since the airplane couldn’t fly, the doctors in Anchorage–which was more than 500 miles away–-decided the only way to send the medicine was by sled dog team. Since there was such a long way to travel, it would take more than 20 sled dog teams to make the trip!
As the sled dog teams began their long journey, people all over the world were watching the news to see if the children of Nome could be saved in time. One team after another ran across the frozen tundra, bring the needed medicine closer and closer. The next to the last team was led by a brave pup named Balto.
Balto was born in 1923 and was part husky and part wolf. He had a determined spirit and loved to run like the wind across the snow. It takes a special dog to be the leader of a sled team, and Balto was brave enough for the job.
Balto and his team of sled dogs had to go through a freezing blizzard for more than 25 miles. The winds howled loudly and the snow made it hard to see anything! It was so cold that ice stuck to the dogs’ fur. When Balto and his team finally reached what should have been their stopping point, they were in for a big surprise. The next team of sled dogs wasn’t hitched up or waiting. In fact, they were sleeping! The weather was so bad, their musher thought Balto’s team would have stopped. So his team wasn’t ready at all!
Balto’s musher had to make a tough decision. Should they wait for the weather for the other sled dog team to wake up and hitched up? Or should they keep going? If they chose to wait, children could lose their lives. Balto’s musher, named Kaasen, decided to press on.
Bravely they set off to cover the last 25 miles. Some of the dogs were tired, cold, or hurt. But Balto kept going and encouraged the team. The medicine must get to Nome in time!
When one sled dog couldn’t continue, Balto worked even harder to pull the medicine himself. He was brave and refused to give up. After many hours in the freezing storm, the dogs all felt like quitting. But Balto pushed them to keep moving with all his might.
At last, after making it through the terrible blizzard, Balto and the heroic dogs made it to Nome with the medicine! They got there early in the day before most of the children were even awake. Because Balto and his team didn’t quit even when the sledding was rough, the lives of many children were saved.
Balto was cheered as a hero for never giving up! His story shows us to never stop trying and doing good, even when it gets very hard. The Bible says “Never tire of doing what is good.” (2 Thessalonians 3:13). Balto kept going and saved many lives in spite of being cold and tired. We should keep trying to help others too. God will help us if we do not lose hope.
Today’s Action Plan:
- Thank God for our furry friends who can teach us how to keep going even though hard times.
- Think about something you need to finish that seems very difficult. How can you keep going when the “sledding is rough”? Be like brave Balto!
- Share Balto’s story with someone who needs encouragement to persevere.
