Guy Fessenden is raising awareness about mental illness 26 miles at a time.

Fessenden, who ran through Selma Tuesday morning, is running a marathon six days a week across the nation to open eyes to a topic that hits very close to home.

His daughter, Suzanne, 28, is schizophrenic, suffers from depression and has spent about seven of the past 12 years in psychiatric hospitals.

“Her day is different from yours and mine,” he said. “She hallucinates and hears voices. These voices tell her she is an awful, terrible person who is a burden and unlovable and that she should kill herself. She wakes in the morning and the first thing she does before opening her eyes is cover her ears.”

However, Fessenden said people who get to know his daughter find her to be the most caring, sensitive and intuitive person they have ever met.

One of the main reasons for the run, Fessenden said, is to eliminate the stigma that is associated with mental illness.

“There are a lot of misconceptions out there,” he said. “A lot of times people find out someone is mentally ill and they distance themselves.”

The second reason for the run, he said, is to establish a foundation for mental illness research. Today, Fessenden said, funding for mental illness is about 35 cents per year, per person.

“That’s compared to billions for people who suffer from cancer and heart disease,” he said. “Finding a cure for those illnesses is important too. But these people are often dying inside.”

To document his trip, “A Fathers Journey”, Fessenden is joined by videographer Jeff Weiss. Weiss said he has been overwhelmed by the amount of support that has poured in since the duo began their run to California.

“It’s beautiful to see the e-mails,” he said. “It’s amazing how open and appreciative people have been. I think they appreciate that Gus is championing their cause.”

To help fund the trip, Weiss said they are selling “A Father’s Journey” T-shirts everywhere they go. T-shirts and donation opportunities are also available on the website www.afathersjourney.org.

Fessenden began his run Oct. 2 in Savannah and plans to complete the 100 marathons in 140 days Feb. 19 in California.

At times, the runs get tough, Fessenden said. But he knows he has to push forward.

“The first 18 miles are pretty straining and by 22 miles the wheels are ready to come off,” he said. “That’s when I put my life next to my daughters. She lives in pain every day, so a sore ankle doesn’t seem that bad anymore.”