Phil Pounder, August 24th, 2009

2 Men – 2 Days – 200 Miles – August 28th/29th

There are about 200 people in the UK with the rare genetic disorder Cystinosis. David Hancock and Matt Blackham, who both grew up and attended school in Ellon, are planning to cycle a mile for each person, whilst raising valuable funds for the Cystinosis Foundation UK.

Day one starts in Edinburgh, with the two cyclists heading over the Forth Road Bridge, along the Fife coast to St Andrews, over the Tay Bridge and finishing in Arbroath. On day two they continue to Stonehaven, Inverurie and Ellon before finishing in Mintlaw, the home of Matt’s 8-year-old niece, Lena Forsyth, who has Cystinosis.

Cystinosis occurs when the mechanism which removes excess cystine from the body breaks down. It then accumulates within body cells preventing them from functioning correctly. This initially leads to kidney problems, but can cause failure of any major organ. In the past, it was rare for Cystinotics to survive into adulthood. Currently, there is no cure and most Cystinotics have a strict 24 hour regime of foul tasting medication.

Lena’s father and chairman of the Cystinosis Foundation UK, Roy Forsyth, explains:

“Cystinosis is extremely rare and unknown, so it is difficult to diagnose and very complicated to treat. Our charity is very small, but succeeding in supporting two medical research projects at The Robert Gordon University and Sunderland University. These projects have a real chance of improving the lives of Cystinotics.”

The cycling duo have already received a substantial contribution from Edinburgh based software consultancy, Scott Logic. However, David and Matt are still covering all the costs of the challenge from their own pockets:

“All the money we raise will go directly to research projects we know are making a difference. So we really appreciate every donation!” says cyclist Matt.

You can help support them at: http://www.justgiving.com/OnePersonOneMile.

The Cystinosis Foundation UK is a UK registered charity (Charity No.1074885). For more information visit: www.cystinosis.org.uk.