[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 126 (Thursday, July 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E996-E997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING RIDE4GABE FOR BRINGING NEEDED AWARENESS TO DUCHENNE 
                           MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2019

  Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Speaker, on behalf of Representatives Palmer, 
Sewell, Kelly (Trent), Kustoff, Cohen, Crawford, Hill, Westerman, 
Womack, Mullin, Hern, Lucas, Thornberry, Lujan, Buck, Tipton, and 
Lamborn, I want to recognize three men who will attempt to pedal their 
bicycles from Birmingham, Alabama to Colorado Springs, Colorado between 
July 28 and August 3, 2019. Ride4Gabe IV, as it is called, will take 
the cyclists through eight states in seven days . The group plans to 
pedal 300 miles the first day followed by days of 234, 198, 206, 232, 
232, and 76 miles. The final leg of Ride4Gabe IV will be from Pueblo, 
Colorado up to 14,115 feet elevation at the summit of Pikes Peak in 
Colorado Springs.
  Gabe Griffin, a 14-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama, is the 
inspiration behind Ride4Gabe. After Gabe was diagnosed with Duchenne, 
his parents created the non-profit Hope for Gabe Foundation to raise 
awareness and support efforts to develop a cure for this devastating 
condition. Michael Staley (38) of Hoover, Alabama, and Wes Bates (24) 
of Nagoya, Japan, began Ride4Gabe in 2014 when they rode across Oregon, 
Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, 
Tennessee, and Alabama.
  According to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne is the most 
common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting 
approximately 1 in every 3,500 live male births (about 20,000 new cases 
each year worldwide). Because the Duchenne gene is found on the X-
chromosome, it primarily affects males; however, it occurs across all 
races and cultures and there are cases of females with Duchenne.
  Duchenne results in progressive loss of strength and is caused by a 
mutation in the gene that encodes for dystrophin. Because dystrophin is 
absent, the muscle cells are easily damaged. The progressive muscle 
weakness leads to serious medical problems, particularly issues 
relating to the heart and lungs. Individuals with Duchenne typically 
live into their late twenties.
  Building on the success of the first Ride4Gabe event, Payne Griffin, 
23, of Washington, D.C. joined Michael and Wes for Ride4Gabe II in 2016 
and the group pedaled across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, 
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida. Brian 
Toone, 42, of Hoover, Alabama, dubbed his effort Ride4Gabe Ill as he 
competed, in the grueling Race Across America. Brian finished 3rd place 
overall as he traversed California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, 
Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and 
Maryland in just over ten days.
  The Ride4Gabe IV team will be live streaming their adventure online 
as they pass through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, 
Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. As the riders tire and their 
muscles get sore, they will draw strength and inspiration from Gabe and 
the Duchenne community. Their hero, Gabe, would love to ride a bicycle 
with them but Duchenne makes doing so impossible. With our help, 
Duchenne patients like Gabe can continue to hope for a cure so they, 
too, can go on an epic bike ride or play baseball, football, or 
basketball with their friends.
  On behalf of my colleagues representing congressional districts along 
the Ride4Gabe IV route, I am pleased to recognize Ride4Gabe IV. The 
awareness that will be raised through Ride4Gabe will lead to greater 
public awareness about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It is our hope that 
Gabe Griffin and every other patient who suffers from Duchenne Muscular 
Dystrophy will soon have access to a treatment and ultimately a cure.

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