Teresa Williams
THOMASVILLE — One motivated teen is on the road promoting his cause.
John Ellis, 17, of Pensacola, Fla., is riding his bike from Pensacola to Philadelphia, Pa., in an effort to raise awareness of Hepatitis B and support the Hepatitis B Foundation. He made a pit stop in Thomas County Thursday.
“It’s definitely an adventure,” Ellis said in a phone interview as he took a lunch break in Boston. “We got a late start the first day and the heat was unbearable, but we’ve gotten into a routine.”
Ellis’s journey is called the “Believe in the Cure Cycling Tour.”
He embarked on the endeavor June 2 at Tate High School in Pensacola. Accompanying him is his best friend, Jamaal Warren, with his mother and grandmother following behind in a van.
Ellis was a healthy teenager, the foundation release stated, until the results of a routine blood test revealed he had the disease. It was also a surprise because Ellis had received the vaccination in middle school. The youth was also told he would eventually need a liver transplant.
This was two weeks shy of his 16th birthday.
Hepatitis B is “the most common serious liver infection in the world,” the release said, and is caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) that attacks liver cells and can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. It is transmitted through infected blood.
The disease is potentially fatal; there is no cure.
Ellis, armed with information, changed his diet, bought a bike for $50 from a local store and began riding it everywhere.
“I didn’t want to sit around and just fight for myself,” he said. “There are other people out there who have been affected by Hepatitis B. I was also concerned about staying healthy so I took up cycling. I want to spread the word.”
Learning of another person’s courageous attempt to raise funds by walking from Pensacola to Washington, D.C., Ellis decided to promote his cause on wheels.
He said Warren and his family have been supportive of his decision.
“We’ve been friends for a very long time and, one day, I just went up to him, told him what I was doing and asked if he wanted to go,” Ellis said. “For whatever reason, he said yes.”
The foundation is the only national non-profit organization solely dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected by the disease worldwide.
The “Believe” tour wraps up June 23, Ellis’s 18th birthday.
“I just want people to know Hepatitis B is preventable and treatable,” he said. “Before I can even do that, people need to be aware of the disease. That’s what this whole bike ride is really about.”
For more information or to follow the tour, visit www.hepb.org or contact (215) 489-4900.
