Ride for Kids – Atlanta Motorcyclists Ride to Cure the Deadliest Childhood Cancer
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s Ride for Kids Motorcycle Charity Event Raises Critical Funds for Childhood Brain Tumor Research and Family Support Programs.
ATLANTA, March 7, 2018 – Today, 13 children will be diagnosed with a brain tumor, the deadliest childhood cancer. On Sunday, June 3 the Atlanta motorcycle community will ride to change that.
Hosted by the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s Georgia Chapter, the 2018 Atlanta Ride for Kids will fund critical research for a cure, as well as family support programs such as emergency financial assistance, peer support and college and vocational scholarships for survivors. This year, Ride for Kids will celebrate its 35th anniversary. “Ride for Kids has always been a motorcycle event, but even more importantly, it’s a people event,” says John Stevens, co-task force leader for the 2018 Atlanta Ride for Kids and manager of East Region Sales for American Honda Motor Co., Inc’s Power Equipment Division. “I came to my first Ride for Kids because I have a bike. I kept returning and started raising money because I met the kids. Now I volunteer and lead because I have a heart.”
Ride for Kids participants will enjoy a scenic, police-escorted motorcycle ride from Cumming Fairground through the North Georgia mountains. Local pediatric brain tumor survivors will accompany motorcyclists on their ride.
Any make or model of street-legal motorcycle is welcome, and the whole family – including non-riders – will enjoy live music, entertainment, food and our Star Celebration. A suggested donation of $50 per person is encouraged. Participants who raise or donate $50 will receive a collectible T-shirt and raffle ticket for a new Honda motorcycle. Other fundraising incentives are also available.
The funds and awareness raised by Ride for Kids have helped the PBTF:
• Invest more than $30 million in research at more than 50 centers worldwide
• Provide emergency financial aid to families whose child is in treatment
• Award more than 1,500 college and vocational scholarships to brain tumor survivors
• Equip newly diagnosed families with the Starfolio resource notebook
• Make cancer care less scary for children through the animated Imaginary Friend Society series
Online registration at www.rideforkids.org/atlanta is recommended. Walk-up registration will start on June 3 at 8 a.m. with kickstands up at 10:30 a.m. (rain or shine)
Ride for Kids is the longest-running, most successful motorcycle charity event in the nation. American Honda is the national presenting sponsor of Ride for Kids, and Cycle World magazine is the lead national media supporter of this American Motorcyclist Association-sanctioned event.
Contact: Emily Clark, Campaign Manager
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation-Georgia Chapter
828-450-2308, eclark@curethekids.org
ABOUT THE PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR FOUNDATION
More children die of brain tumors than any other cancer. As the world’s largest nonprofit dedicated to children and teens with brain tumors, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s mission is to care for families along their entire journey, cure every childhood brain tumor, and help survivors and families thrive. Since 1991, the PBTF has funded more than $30 million in research to increase survivorship, improve quality of life and ultimately eliminate pediatric brain tumors. We also provide emotional support, information, resource referrals and other free services to families. Our national events include Ride for Kids motorcycle charity rides, the Starry Night Walk and 5K Run and Vs. Cancer fundraisers. Call 800-253-6530 or visit curethekids.org/mission to join us in our mission to Care. Cure. Thrive.
Four years ago, Kimberly was pregnant, expecting a bouncing baby boy. During a routine sonogram, she and her husband Daniel were told that their baby had a cyst on his brain. A few weeks later, a sonogram revealed no cyst and so on August 20, 2013, Shaun Declan was welcomed into this world.
As teachers, Kimberly and Daniel were more aware of speech delays in Declan as he grew. They realized towards the end of 2014 that not only was Declan’s speech delayed, but he seemed to have constant congestion. Kimberly questioned if there was hearing loss and so they decided to see a doctor. Declan saw an ENT and they found mild conductive hearing loss with the recommendation of allergy testing and tubes. So, this is what Kimberly and Daniel proceeded with and in January 2015 Declan had tubes put in his ears. That same month, Kimberly and Daniel noticed a lazy eye, but it was often hard to tell which eye and it was only captured in pictures at first. This rapidly changed though and over the next few months, Declan saw not one but two eye doctors, having glasses, a patch, and multiple prescription changes. During their second opinion, the doctor indicated that Declan was too old for one type of eye crossing and too young for another so inquired about other neurological issues. It was in that moment that Kimberly and Daniel went back to the pregnancy and cyst in the sonogram. In July 2015, Declan had his first MRI at the suggestion of the eye doctor and it revealed he has a low-grade glioma in his midbrain, found to be displacing his 3rd cranial nerve. Unfortunately, the tumor cannot be removed or even biopsied due to location.
Since that time, Declan was able to have Strabismus surgery which helped immensely with vision issues. He continues to have MRIs every six months, as his team of doctors monitors his tumor. The most stressful part for Kimberly and Daniel is that until such time the tumor starts impacting or growing faster than Declan is growing, nothing will be done … they just sit and wait. Declan’s mother describes him as “busy and full of life, bringing so much joy, laughter, and goodness to everyday lives.” He stays in the moment like a normal little boy, not realizing he is living with a brain tumor, one described as “abnormal” by so many doctors. Older now, he’s begun to fight the IV process.
One day, Kimberly and Daniel know they will have to explain it all to him, but for now Kimberly says “we just want to do the best we can in everything that comes with raising a child with a brain tumor, as well as hope and pray a procedure is found to deal with situations like this. This is only one of the reasons we are so thankful for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. We know more research needs to be done. ”Call and get involved: Emily Clark, 828-450-2308
