A man, a bike, a mission: Raise awareness about lupus and show his support for those with lupus – a population that includes himself.
That’s the story behind Australian Geoff Thomas, who has biked more than 9,000 miles in the last several months, but feels his journey to help others by bringing more awareness to lupus is just beginning.
“This experience has changed the way I view lupus immensely. It was a huge learning experience to find out how many people suffer from it, how there is a sense of desperation to find a cure and how it is still widely misunderstood,” he said, “Prior to being diagnosed, I had never heard of lupus.” Thomas was diagnosed with discoid, or cutaneous lupus, in 2003.
During his 156 days on the road, he met several people who expressed appreciation for his efforts and told him of the friends they had lost to lupus.
“An older lady walked up to me at a gas station. Tears welled in her eyes as she recalled losing a dear friend to the disease,” Geoff remembered, “That really hit him and shook me up a little.”
He offers this to others suffering from lupus: “After facing so many challenges on the road, it would have been easy to give up at certain times. To get through those tough times, it made me stronger mentally and I didn't concentrate so much on the physical barriers I faced. I know it's a cliche, but I can relate to the 'don't give up' message and what it stands for. Be mentally tough, know you have support there if you need it and keep smiling.”
To read more about Geoff’s bike across the country, or to donate to the Lupus Foundation of America or the Alliance for Lupus Research, see his website BikeUSA2007.com.
