Cycling Across Country for a Cause
May 30, 2006
In late June, Cheryl Edwards, a patient of OHSU Hematology, will be cycling across the country to promote awareness of fatal clotting conditions, including pulmonary emboli, from which Cheryl has suffered.
Cheryl says "I have been an athlete all my life, but developed a serious pulmonary emboli twice! It is a miracle I survived with only lung damage."
Cheryl's husband Tom will be joining her on the journey to promote education about this highly lethal condition. They will travel from Seattle, WA to D.C., stopping in over 40 cities. NWclotbusters, their newly formed foundation, is collaborating with thrombosis (clot disorders) groups across the country to educate, inform, and empower the public regarding the 400,000 people with pulmonary emboli who are misdiagnosed yearly because of how this condition presents itself.
"PE alone kills more than four times that of Breast Cancer, yet we are so uninformed and over 200,000 of our friends and family die needlessly because of it," said Cheryl.
We'll be staying in touch with Cheryl along her journey, reading her blog and checking in with her.
The Edwards are striving to raise funds for OHSU Cancer Research Center in regard to thrombosis and the complications it brings to virtually every disease.
"The positive treatment of nearly every illness is adversely affected for those with clot disorders," stated Edwards. "New research is desperately needed to develop drugs that give hope to people on lifelong dangerous anticoagulation medicines. These people, like myself, live with the fact that at any time, a fatal clot may form, even while under treatment. This is unacceptable, as no new drugs for this condition have been developed in over half a century. For a disease that kills so many, how can it be that we have done so little?"
During the hours they are not pedaling, Cheryl and Tom will spend time with other cycling and community groups talking about PE.
"I believe our greatest and most urgent gift is our ability to foster inspiration in one another to embrace the best possible quality of life."
Even with this condition, Edwards plans to do just that. Together, they anxiously anticipate the day Clotbusters organizations emerge in every region of our nation to largely impact the minimal progress that has stifled this lethal condition for decades.
For more information and to join their journey, see their website.
Posted by orbike at May 30, 2006 10:15 AM
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Comments
Dear Ayleen
Thanks for the good wishes and support with this. I cannot thank you enough!
I am nervous as the lung damage has made everything much harder, so it will do me good to know you are pullin' for me. But this is SO important as every day I say to myself, Why didn't someone tell me!! I think about that every day and know that it is what must do now.
I appreciate your following along as we travel as I will be posting pictures and writing about our trip.
Keep the prayers going for us that my tests do ok and I can keep going and finish.
Thanks so much and best to you,
Cheryl
Posted by: Cheryl at May 30, 2006 9:21 PM