Cyclists Roll Out For Penn Medicine's Million Dollar Bike Ride
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Hundreds of cyclists will hit the streets in and around Philadelphia on Saturday May 20th, in the name of defeating rare diseases.
There are teams pedaling to cure Retinal Blindness, Adrenoleukodystrophy, and Castleman Disease; an inflammatory disorder in which the immune system attacks the organs, says Patty Prazenica with the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network.
"It's as common as ALS, and it's more deadly than lymphoma," said Prazenica.
Patients are commonly misdiagnosed. Of course, research toward understanding, and a cure, is expensive.
For Castleman and two dozen other orphan diseases, that's where Penn Medicine's Million Dollar Bike Ride comes in.
"Whatever money they raise, Penn Medicine will match dollar-for-dollar, and that money will go directly to your disease," Prazenica said.
Routes are available from 13 to 73 miles. Learn more and register at milliondollarbikeride.org.
