Francais

Hello, my name is Kevin Dube.  Recently, my brother in law and my sister in law welcomed their first child to the world, a girl named Avery. When Avery was born, she had the newborn screening test like all newborns.  This is the test that is done by pricking the baby's heel to detect various diseases. When our children were born, we were told not to worry us because the results of these tests were almost always negative. Avery’s test was not negative. They indicated that Avery was diagnosed with PKU, something we had never heard of. When I learned, I did some research to find out more about PKU. Some of the information I found was alarming, and some was encouraging. It seemed that with the right treatment and the right diet, Avery could grow up like most other children.  Through my research I discovered the Canadian PKU and Allied Disorders. Speaking with their president, John Adams, I realized that not all the provinces were providing adequate coverage for the treatment needed by people with PKU.  John also informed me that CanPKU was focused on advocating for those with PKU for better coverage and treatment and they were committed to providing a community for those individuals and families affected by PKU.  My wife and I knew we had to do something to support our family. After talking to John, we decided that a cross-Canada bike ride would be a great way to raise awareness, raise money and promote a sense of community among people and families affected by PKU.  My niece is the inspiration behind this idea, and this is also a national issue as there are individuals and families all across Canada that would benefit from better coverage for the treatment they require.  I’ll be heading out from Victoria BC on June 7, 2014 and will end in St. Johns Newfoundland on August 17, 2014.  There will be some events taking place along the way and you can take a look at the route page in order to find out when and where we will be.  I will try to keep you informed of plans and preparations in the blog on this website.  I will attempt to blog as I ride as well.  If you would like to donate to the Ride please click the link to make a donation.  All donations will go to The Canadian PKU and Allied disorders and CORD (Canadian Organization for Rare Diseases).