BY B.G. GREGG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Doug Phillis tries on a helmet handed to him by Jill Schmiade, 10, of Independence. Jill has spina bifida.
(Glenn Hartong photo)
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In a sense, Doug Phillis was an activist waiting for a cause.
Unfortunately, the cause turned up in his own family.
Mr. Phillis, of Zanesville, Ohio, took up bicycling 15 years ago and had always hoped to make a cross-country bike trip for a good cause. Seven years ago, the cause turned up when his niece, Megan, was born with spina bifida.
"At age 2, she was walking," he said. "She can swim the length of an Olympic-size swimming pool. Does she feel limited? No. Is she aware of her limitations? Certainly."
Mr. Phillis, 39, will fly to Oregon today to begin a cross-country trip to raise money for the Spina Bifida Association of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Center for Developmental Disorders. He hopes to raise $50,000.
He kicked off his adventure Friday at Children's Hospital Medical Center, which is affiliated with the center for developmental disorders.
"I've always had a strong admiration for kids with disabilities because of their perseverance," he said. "They want to prove to you they can do it."
Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs early in a woman's pregnancy and leaves children with varying degrees of paralysis, said Marlene Lutkenhoff, a clinical nurse specialist at the center for developmental disorders. It affects about one of every 1,000 children, and the local center treats about 250 to 300 children who use braces or wheelchairs.
Mr. Phillis will log 4,500 miles and cross 10 states in the trip from Astoria, Ore., to Yorktown, Va. He expects it to take 55-60 days.
"I'll probably average about 70 to 80 miles a day," he said. "I think my legs are in pretty decent shape," he said. "The biggest problem will be the weather, but I'm prepared. I have gear to ride in rain, dust storms -- anything."
Those interested in pledging money to fight spina bifida in connection with Doug Phillis' bicycle trip around the country can call 800-344-CHMC (2462). He is trying to raise $50,000.
