FNQ dad’s spin is for a good cause
On the bike to raise funds for muscular dystrophy
WHEN Babinda resident Chris Wiles rides his bike, his thoughts turn to the youngsters impacted by muscular dystrophy, including his own.
“I often think of the kids impacted by MD,” he said.
“If they could ride a bike how would they feel?”
Mr Wiles, 56, has been a tenacious campaigner to raise funds and awareness for the wasting disease since his son Harper, 16, was diagnosed a decade ago.
“When we got the diagnosis I was as uneducated as anyone,” he said.
“It was a pretty substantial blow.”
But Mr Wiles said they were “lucky” that Harper was found to have the less severe form of the genetically-inherited neuromuscular condition.
“The Beckers variant is rarer and touch wood, less affecting,” he said.
“At first we did not know anything about MD and we were scrambling for information and reassurance.
“Getting a diagnosis for a terminal disease was shocking.”
As part of his commitment to his ongoing Ride Walk Roll to raise awareness and fundraise for Muscular Dystrophy Queensland, Mr Wiles attended the recent Port Douglas Gran Fondo.
He said their family was determined to make a difference and commenced his campaigning in 2013 and founded the “choose your adventure fundraising”.
“People can participate in the Ride Walk Roll on foot, bike, powered wheelchair, however they want,” he said.
“For Shane and I, Harper is our world.”
The Year 11 Good Counsel Innisfail student said he felt fortunate to not have a more progressed MD variant.
“I can’t manage to run or exercise as much as others,” he said.
“But I’m happy because this allows me to talk about the things I like to support.
“I’m lucky enough to have parents who are supportive of me, and don’t ‘shun’ me for my disease.
“Just because I or someone else has a difference or cannot do things like you can, that doesn’t mean we don’t have talents or things we can offer.
“At school I’m a house captain, I’m always volunteering there and it’s a true testament of if you put your heart to it, it’ll happen.”
Visit www.ridewalkroll.org.au/chris-wiles to support Mr Wiles’ Ride Walk Roll campaign.