Atlanta, GA
Atlanta native in home stretch of cross-country trip raising awareness for dementia
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Atlanta native Spencer Cline has nearly completed a seven-week cycling trip totaling 3,700 miles to honor his late father and raise awareness for frontotemporal dementia, which claimed his father’s life.
Thus far, he’s raised over $50,000 while documenting his journey on social media. He biked to his home in Atlanta Saturday after beginning his cross country journey in June in Oregon.
“Coming in and seeing the skyline was like, ‘Wow I made it,’” he said. “Crazy being back in the city that I flew out of a month and a half ago to get to Oregon and now I’m back and only have a week left.”
“I’ve gone through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, now in Georgia and then South Carolina next,” he said. “Seeing the amount of people who have donated. People donating $20 up to $10,000, it’s been breathtaking.”
Years ago, Cline lost his father Larry to frontotemporal dementia, a hereditary disease that’s difficult to diagnose.
Cline says he and his siblings have a 50% chance of developing frontotemporal dementia, which is why every mile counts.
He is hoping his journey from coast to coast will raise awareness to find a cure for the disease.
“Doing this so other families don’t have to go through what we went through,” he said. “It was such a long time to get an accurate diagnosis and going through multiple misdiagnosis.”
He’s had some hurdles, including a chaotic crash in Idaho to avoid running over a furry friend.
“A dog ran out in front of me and caused me to fall and break my wrist. So, it put a delay in the ride,” he said.
He was back on his bike a week later, following surgery.
He aims to complete his journey next Saturday in Charleston, South Carolina.
Cline’s online fundraiser can be found here.
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