Congratulations to Keith Jackson, who spent two months riding his bike from St. Augustine, Florida to San Diego, California, raising awareness about bone marrow failure diseases and funds for the
AA&MDSIF in honor of his daughter Christine, an aplastic anemia survivor. His theme was "Life is Good."
Keith, an AA&MDSIF board member and volunteer, not only rode cross-country but kept up with his full-time job as a software developer, using his laptop computer anywhere he could get an Internet connection. He also rode in recognition of the thousands of caregivers who struggle to hold full time jobs while caring for a family member with a severe illness like AA, MDS, or PNH.
As he rode through Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, Keith made many friends and posted stories and photos on his
blog, which has been viewed tens of thousands of times since he began his trek.
Christine was diagnosed with aplastic anemia at age 10 and had a bone marrow transplant from her sister. She has fully recovered, is attending college, and has a very active life.
Christine surprised Keith by flying to San Diego to meet her father at the end of his 3020-mile trek along the
Southern Tier route. She joined a small but enthusiastic group of supporters who were waiting to welcome him to San Diego.
Sat Apr 24, 2010, 10:25 PM
