You’ve gotta love it when someone takes a bad situation and makes the very best out of it. Jake Silverman and his family have done just that.
At 10 years old, Jake was diagnosed with dystonia. The neurological condition, which causes muscles to contract in severe spasms, had taken him out of school and inserted him in a wheelchair.
Through a series of deep brain stimulation surgeries, however, he was eventually able to regain many of his previous abilities. Today, Jake is working his way through college… and doing so many other awesome things as well.
In addition to teaming up with Team Fox as a spokesperson to raise dystonia awareness, Jake is also raising funds to help fight the disease. Boy, is he ever raising money.
In 2008 Jake and his family started Jake’s Ride, a family-oriented bike ride to support research for movement disorders like dystonia and Parkinson’s disease. The event features multiple bike courses of varying degrees of difficulty. Riders can pedal anywhere from one to twenty miles on their bikes. Non-riders can walk. In addition, Jake’s Ride often features live music, food and drinks, and fun activities for all ages.
Since it first started fundraising nearly a decade ago, Jake’s Ride has raised over $2.5 million to support research, treatments, and support for patients and their families.
Well done, Jake. Well done, Silvermans. If only more people could be like you.
