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  • June 12

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kristen Garabedian
Phone: (619) 296-0178
Stop Date: June 26, 2002

Cyclist with Epilepsy Races Across America for Charity
George Thomas to ride bicycle from Oregon to Florida in grueling 10-day race

George Thomas, who developed epilepsy (recurring seizures) after being hit by a drunk driver and crashing head-first through a car’s windshield, will race from Portland, Oregon to Pensacola, Florida from June 16^th to June 26^th to raise national awareness about seizure disorders.  George and his tandem partner, Terri Gooch, will compete against top international athletes in Race Across America (RAAM), one of the world’s toughest cycling competitions.

George, the only person in the history of Race Across America to have completed solo, tandem, and relay divisions, is excited to dedicate this year’s ride to charity.  He asks that people donate $10 or more for a mile along the racecourse, which will benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County, an affiliate of the national Epilepsy Foundation.

Each person who donates $10 or more will sponsor a particular mile in this exciting cross-country race.  Mile sponsors will be recognized on the Web site, notified by e-mail when George and Terri race past their sponsored mile, and will be able to send personal e-mail messages to inspire the tandem pair during the race.

George was 21 years old when a drunk driver slammed into him as he was stood next to his motorcycle, helmet on.  He sustained numerous broken bones and a head injury, and required extensive therapy to help him walk again.  Soon after his release from the hospital, he began to experience dizzy spells, which grew more frequent and severe over the next five years.

“Then one day I crashed out of the shower, right through the glass,” George said.  “After that, I had frequent seizures.”

George’s doctor diagnosed him with epilepsy: a term for various types of recurring seizure disorders, which briefly short-circuit the brain’s normal electrical activity.  Seizures can range from subtle staring spells to severe, life-threatening convulsions.  Some of the known causes of epilepsy are head injuries (such as the one George suffered), strokes, tumors, birth defects, viral infections, substance abuse, and genetic conditions; in many cases, the cause of seizure disorders is unknown.

At first, the seizures completely changed George’s active, athletic lifestyle.  “I couldn’t ride my bike, I was too dizzy,” he said.  “My vision stunk.  I had my driver’s license taken away; when I had to write a check, people would ask why a guy in his mid-twenties didn’t have a license.  The word ‘epilepsy’ was a stigma.”

George tried various anticonvulsant medications, taking up to 16 pills a day at one point.  As medication side-effects became unbearable, George began taking an experimental drug called Lamictal, which was subsequently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.  He has not had a seizure since.

George hopes that his upcoming ride for charity will inspire the more than 2.5 million people in the USA who currently live with seizure disorders.  “Epilepsy is such a prevalent condition, but it’s rarely discussed and most people don’t know much about it,” he said.  “I want people to know that epilepsy doesn’t have to stop you doing from the things you want.”