Amyloidosis‏

In 2007 my father, Dennis Blake, was diagnosed with a rare blood disease, Amyloidosis. After years of battling the disease, the correct diagnosis was finally given less then a week before he passed. Amyloidosis is a rare blood disease that can affect one or more organs when abnormal deposits of the amyloid protein are produced. It is debilitating and life threatening. The disease meant nothing to my family weeks before we first heard the word, and then it defined the rest of our lives. It is only in the last 25 years that physicians have started to understand the disease. I have been hiking the Appalachian trail for a little more then a month. Hiking 8 to 12 hours a day, I have had plenty of time to think of my father and what kind of differences I could make in his name. I would love to make this epic adventure about more then myself. The amyloidosis foundation's mission is to increase education and awareness in hopes that it will lead to earlier diagnosis and improved treatment. My goal is to raise $1,000 in the name of my father. I have roughly 200 miles left. Just one penny per mile adds up to $20 when I complete the trail of 2,000 miles. If anybody would like to donate a small amount per every mile I complete, then I am confident that I can reach my goal. Here are the directions and the page link for the donations: Check "In memory of" and add my father's name "Dennis Blake"

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Only halfway?!?!

5 days out of Harpers Ferry Wv and we have been busy. We left West Virginia behind the first day out, crossed into Maryland and then into Pennsylvania. Sunday we reached the A.T. Half way mark. I suppose I should have been happier but it just reminded me how much father I have to go. 1090.5 miles down, 1090.5 miles left! We took pictures at the midpoint but quickly moved along. Pine Grove camp store, home of the Half Gallon ice cream challenge, was within reach. There was a lot of big talk about how much ice cream each of us could put down but when we arrived only Squirrel and I stepped up. I picked out a half gallon of neapolitan and squirrel had carmel swirl. I used a cheeseburger as my chaser. I made short work of both while Squirrel threw in the spoon half way in. His 4 hot dog appetizer was his demise. I finished the challenge in just under 35 mins and had a stomach ache for an hour but it was worth it. My trophy was a small wooden spoon that reads, "half gallon club member."
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