For the love of Carter

When Carter was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, his grandfather Jerry Davis felt helpless. But by forming a cycling team and raising crucial funds for the Arthritis Foundation, Jerry has shown Carter that his family are there for him all the way…

On September 13th 2014, together with 200 of my closest friends, I began a 525 mile bike ride down the California Coast taking part in the Arthritis Foundation’s California Coast Classic Bike Tour.
Our adventure took us down Highway 1 from San Francisco to Santa Monica in eight days. The coastal ride was to be my reward for the previous three months of training and fundraising in honor of my four-year-old grandson, Carter, who had been diagnosed earlier in the year with juvenile arthritis.
“Juvenile arthritis”? To be honest with you, like most people I had never given a thought to such a disease and it never once registered to me that it even existed. That was until Carter was diagnosed.
During my previous three months of training and fundraising I received a crash course on the disease. I was amazed at what I found out, and dumbfounded as to why a cure has not been found. How could it be that in today’s world with all the advancements in technology and medicine a cure has not been found?
There are 300,000 children in the US living with juvenile arthritis and the Arthritis Foundation is leading the way in helping people with arthritis.

Carter’s story
When Carter was diagnosed last year, his pain was so severe he could barely move or be touched. After a few months on one type of medication we were all saddened to find out it wasn’t working and the doctors wanted to try another type of medication and treatment. This seems to be the norm when it comes to juvenile arthritis; not all treatments work for every child who has the disease and when one doesn’t work you try another, and another and another and hopefully they find one that helps to give the child a break from the daily pain and that slows the progression of the damage arthritis causes to their joints.

Action plan
Seeing Carter in such pain broke my heart and I knew I had to do something to help. When my daughter, Tarin, presented this ride to me it was a perfect fit and gave me a chance to get involved in a great cause and let Carter know we are all in this battle with him.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t intimidated by the thought of riding 525 miles. Before starting my training only 12 or 14 weeks prior to the September 13th start date, I had not been on my bike for two years because of trying to deal with a family tragedy, the passing of my son JT.
To say I was out of shape was an understatement, but I had managed to train myself into “ok” shape in a short period of time and was determined to not let down all those people who had supported me with their donations, prayers and encouragement. After all, my whole fundraising pitch laid heavy on the difficulty of riding a bike 525 miles and that I was doing it to help my grandson. I had the added motivation of knowing that there was going to be a certain four-year-old little boy with big blue eyes and an incredible smile waiting to welcome his Papa home at the finish line in Santa Monica on September 20th.

The event
The eight day ride was an amazing life changing experience for me in so many ways. I met some lifelong friends and fellow warriors out there on the road. I learned that every cyclist has a different story and reason for being there but we all came with the same goal of making a difference and helping to find a cure.
On September 20th eight days and 525 miles later, Carter, brother Easton, Carter’s mom Tarin and dad, Brett, were at the finish line to welcome myself and my 200 friends home.
The 2014 California Coast Classic Bike Tour had come to an end and this group of amazing 200 cyclists, volunteers, and the countless people who supported us with donations and encouragement raised over $1.2 million for The Arthritis Foundation to fund research for better treatments and to help find a cure.
I knew that day, when we crossed the finish line in Santa Monica that I’d be back. That I was hooked. That if I wanted to make a difference I had to be willing to be in this for the long haul.

Honestly?
During the ride I met several people and we had some great conversations about arthritis, the foundation and all that they do. I am grateful beyond words for all these people do for this cause, but if asked to be honest, I have to admit to having a selfish side. You see, as great as the 2014 California Coast Classic Bike event was, I wish I had never heard of it. As great as the Arthritis Foundation is, I wish I had never heard of it either.
Like I said in the beginning, “juvenile arthritis”? I had never given it a thought and I wish I had never heard of it and I wish Carter hadn’t either. I wish he didn’t have to feel the pain and experience what it is doing to his body. But for whatever reason, this is the hand that we’ve been dealt so we will join the fight.

The future
So Carter and I have formed Team Carter and with the help of some great team members we aim to make a difference in the fight to find a cure by committing to the 2015 California Coast Classic Bike Tour. We will train, fundraise and do that 525 mile bike ride again and be at the starting line in San Francisco on Sept 26th and finish eight days later in Santa Monica on October 3rd. During those eight days there will be many friendships made, a lot of laughs and a lot of tears and there will be some lives changed on that road to finding a cure.
Team Carter is already working hard towards our goal to have a 20-strong member team of cyclists to ride in honor of Carter and all 300,000 of the children in the US with juvenile arthritis. Together with our San Francisco Team co-captain, Kyle Berg, we are building a great team with the same goals of raising awareness about the disease and raising donation in honor of Carter to support the Arthritis Foundation and all that it does.
All sponsorship donations go directly to the Arthritis Foundation and our team riders are completely self-supporting (except for an occasional donut that I promise all first year riders when they join our team!).

Further information:
• California Coast Classic Bicycle Tour 2014: www.ccc15.kintera.org
• To register with Team Carter: www.ccc15.kintera.org/teamcarter
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/525miles4carter and email: [email protected]