From Seattle to Stanford: Riding for Hugo's Recovery

The Why

I'm starting this GoFundMe to help my labmate and friend, Hugo, cover his medical expenses from a lengthy and ongoing battle with congenital heart disease.

Hugo's Story

I met Hugo at a Stanford BBQ about a year ago. A mutual friend introduced us and brought up our shared interest in running. We quickly discovered that we competed at several of the same Southern California cross country and track meets in high school, and both went on to run varsity XC/Track in college. After a few more minutes of discussing our favorite track workouts, advancements in shoe technology, and our olympic predictions, I finally asked Hugo if he'd be interested in running sometime.

"I would if I could, but I haven't been able to exercise in over a year"

Hugo explained that upon moving to Stanford a year prior to start his PhD in Chemistry, he had begun to feel chest pain whenever he tried to exercise. Symptoms persisted and worsened with every run, and eventually landed him in the ER. Hugo's chest pain continued for several more weeks and even got to the point where walking up a flight of stairs could trigger a trip to the ER.

After countless visits to the cardiologist, Hugo was diagnosed with a myocardial bridge. This meant that the arteries supplying blood to his heart were being compressed by the heart's surrounding muscle (kind of like a kinked hose). In Hugo's case, his bridge had reduced blood flow to the heart so much that he required open heart surgery.

While the surgery successfully corrected the bridge, he is far from 100%. The cells surrounding his arteries continue to spasm leading to excessive vasoconstriction. He requires bi-monthly visits to the cardiologist, daily medications, and has insomnia.

In the year since meeting Hugo, he joined the lab I work in and has been able to start running again. (See his first run in 2 years below!) While he is able to exercise again, his duration and intensity of exercise is severely limited in order to avoid chest pain.

Hugo’s 2+ year battle with his congenital heart disease and endothelial cell dysfunction has inspired him to pursue a career in pediatric cardiology. He hopes to one day use his own experiences to help kids burdened congenital heart defects.

The long and short of it

A couple months ago, in hopes of finding a permanent solution to his chest pain, Hugo sought out treatment at the Mayo Clinic. After spending a week with world-renowned cardiologists, Hugo was given a new treatment plan (which has been promising) and a hefty medical bill. After a costly surgery, dozens of consultations, and various medications, Hugo has exceeded what has insurance and aid assistance programs will cover. That's where we can step in.

How you can help

Consider donating $0.01 for every mile I bike from Seattle to Stanford (~900 miles). I'm aiming to bike 80-100 miles/day self-supported (carrying my gear and camping along the way). I may push to LA if time allows (I'm trying to squeeze everything into 2-2.5 weeks)! If we are fortunate enough to hit our goal, all additional proceeds will go to The Children's Heart Foundation to help other kids with congenital heart disease!

Follow along for trip updates!

Day 1:

Bremerton —> Elma (68 miles)

Rear shifter malfunction - down to 3 gears!

Day 2:

Elma, WA —> Cape Disappointment, WA (86mi)

Kicked off today’s ride with a gnarly flat, but made it to the Washington border! Oregon awaits…

Day 3:

Cape Disappointment —> Rockaway Beach (68mi)

Got my bike fixed in Astoria (I have all my gears back)! Came across a pair of cyclists on their way to LA so joined them for the rest of the day. Oregon shoulders > Washington shoulders

Day 4:

Rockaway Beach, OR —> Newport, OR (86mi)

A mostly foggy, cold day with some difficult climbs. Really nice folks in Newport.

Day 5:

Newport, OR —> Florence, OR (51 mi)

My bike frame snapped! Luckily Green Bike Co-op in Waldport had a similar used bike with a better rack for a solid deal (shoutout Alex)! Incredible views!

Day 6:

Florence, OR —> Humbug Mountain SP, OR (105-115mi?)

Productive ride with a college student also riding back to SF. Best views of the trip!

Day 7:

Humbug Mountain SP, OR —> Redwoods NP, CA (110mi)

Back in Cali! Shoulder disappeared, but the views remained

Day 8:

Redwoods NP, CA —> more Redwoods NP, CA? (97mi)

Pretty foggy day so not great views. The redwoods are so cool!

Day 9:

Redwoods, CA —> Mendocino, CA (102mi)

Really rough day of climbs. The coast is beautiful, but ready to get to the finish. Bike chain keeps derailing.

Day 10:

Mendocino, CA —> Bodega Bay, CA (101 mi)

7.5k ft of elevation gain… Really rough day on the 1. Tons of rolling hills with no shoulder. Stressful but the views were great! 1 more day

Day 11:

Bodega Bay, CA —> Palo Alto, CA (117mi)

Made it to the finish line! WHAT. A. TRIP.

So cool to update this page every day and see donations coming in from both friends and strangers! Thanks again everyone - your support and dollars have certainly made a difference!

07/15/24:

WOW more than halfway to our donation goal in less than 24hrs! Thank you everyone for all the support!

07/20/24

Over 3/4ths of the way to the goal - this is incredible! Thank you all!