A Topeka policeman rode his bike through Pittsburg Wednesday and Thursday as part of a trip to raise awareness about a rare genetic disorder.
Jayme Green said he was trying to come up with a way that he could help his second cousin Granton “Grant” Bayless, a 6-month-old little boy from Bolivar, Mo., who was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease, or SCID.
“I just wanted to find some way, any way, to help,” Green said. “And the more I thought about it, the more a bike ride made sense. I ride a bike every day, I’m a bicycle policeman, and I always wanted to make a long trip.
“Our family is really, really close,” Green said. “And everybody just seemed to think that it would be a good idea.”
SCID, often called “bubble boy disease”, is a rare disorder in which the immune system fails to develop. According to www.scid.net, SCID became widely known during the 1970s and 80s, when the world learned of David Vetter, a boy with X-linked SCID, who lived for 12 years in a plastic, germ-free bubble. X-linked SCID attaches to the X-chromosome, meaning it affects only males.
Green said Bayless’s case, diagnosed in March 2008, had been difficult on his family, both financially and emotionally. The bike ride is designed to help ease some of that financial burden through pledges, but also to raise awareness about the disease, Green said.
The trip is supposed to take five days, and will cover 300 miles by the time it is completed. The trip started in Topeka on Monday and will end in Bolivar, where Bayless lives.
Green has received help across the way, be it lodging, food, or the bike he’s riding, which was donated by Sunshine Bike Shop in Springfield, Mo. The bike will be auctioned off after the ride, with all proceeds going to benefit Bayless. In Pittsburg, Green said he enjoyed the hospitality of Countryside Christian Church, the food at Bamboo Palace and the hotel rooms at the Holiday Lodge.
“It was great staying with family and everything,” Green said. “But at the same time, it was nice to hop into a cool room and ice down for a while. Pittsburg has been great. I’ve loved all of it.
“The whole trip has been awesome,” Green said. “Aside from sore tendons, muscles and joints, I’ve had great weather for it.”
To track Green’s progress, learn more about the benefit ride, visit the Web site rideforgranton.blogspot.com
“Even if you can’t give money, that’s fine,” Green said. “What Grant and his family really need are your prayers.”
Kevin Flaherty can be reached at kevin.flaherty@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 Ext. 134
PITTSBURG —
