We're Linda and Andy Johnson, from Cazenovia, New York. We've recently embarked on an exciting journey. Last year Kyle Bryant originated the idea of Ride Ataxia - riding his three-wheeled cycle from San Diego to the annual National Ataxia Foundation meeting in Memphis. It took two months to get there, and in the process he raised $40,000 to fund Ataxia research and he raised awareness of the disease like no one has before. Well he rode to the annual meeting again this year and we joined him! For this trip, we left from Sacramento on March 15 and arrived in Las Vegas on March 27.

You see Linda also has Friedreich's Ataxia. This inherited disease causes the nerves of the body to deteriorate. Linda (and Kyle) can still walk at this point, but it's getting much more difficult. In addition, speech gets slurred, finger dexterity suffers, and other serious complications can develop as time goes on.

The good thing is that research is more promising than ever! Several drugs are going through trials at this time, with other significant research taking place as you read this. There has never been a better time to contribute to this research! Let's cure this disease - for Linda, for the rest of the Ride Ataxia team, and for all of the others afflicted with this disease! We met up with many of them again when we got to Las Vegas, where we heard the latest news from the researchers. Let's give them the funds they need to solve this problem once and for all!

Enjoy our blog! Feel free to write to us any time. Check out the links in the right column below to read more about the disease or to find out more about the ride. And please... it's not too late to Help Find the Cure!


Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Finally Outside!

Andy writes:

We were finally able to get outside on the bikes today. It was 42 degrees and rainy, but the roads had cleared off a little so we rode four miles to check things out. We would have kept riding but it was getting dark, and the heavy fog made it a little dangerous, even with our flashing lights. The visibility was terrible. The good news, though, is that we both felt great! Granted it was only four miles, but Linda really needed to get outside with the trike and actually ride it in the real world - shifting, steering; all those things you don't do inside. Anyway, it all worked out great. After we came in we did another hour and a half inside.

2 comments:

Mom and Dad said...

Hey, great to see you outside. Must get a set of fog lights just in case. Mom and I think your doing great and pray for you every day. look forward to seeing you in March...

Sue said...

Can you teach me to smile in the fog and rain?