Bugle/Observer  July 25

Brother-sister team stop over in Centreville on the New Brunswick leg of their trek across Canada B1 By Cheryl Norrad "They attacked everywhere there was no bug spray, even on the eyelids," said Alley Watson

The barren stretch of 200 km between Longlac and Hearst is all swamp, a heaven for mosquitos. But it was hell for Alley and David.

It was so bad that when they stopped to eat, "we ate around the mosquitos (on the plate)," Alley said.

"I'm surprised we don't have West Nile," joked David.

The hardship of Northern Ontario is now a distant memory. Alley and David Watson were in Centreville on Saturday for a rest with their grandparents, David and Hazel Watson, on the New Brunswick part of their journey.

They were also on hand at the Florenceville Kin Club to receive a $400 donation toward their cause.

Alley, 21, and a fourth-year student at Dalhousie University, was diagnosed with CF at birth, as well as her older sister Amy, 26.

Alley and David, who escaped the disease, said they wanted to do something for CF because it not only affects the individual, but the entire family.

"It affects the life of the whole family so much ... the hospital runs, the time involved," Alley said.

It was David's idea to bike across Canada for CF. He and Alley saw it as a fun thing to do. But mostly, David said, "I didn't want to work this summer," breaking into a big grin.

The going was tough at first. The trip was physically demanding, but they were in shape after a few days.

As they made their way across the country, they got used to cars and trucks whizzing by them on the Trans Canada Highway. But the RVers always seemed too close for comfort.

"They don't realize how close their wide load is to us," said David.

Animals also came close. David was chased by a deer at one point. It followed him down the highway. When a truck went by, it turned around, running towards Alley. It scared her so she began yelling at it. It stopped and stood there looking at her.

"I took a picture of it," said Alley.

The deer then sauntered away.

Moving from B.C. to Alberta, Alley saw her favorite place on the journey – Mt. Robinson Park just before Jasper on the B.C. side.

"It was a clear day and I could see all the mountains," she said.

For David, coming through Saskatchewan was his favorite stretch so far.

"The people are friendly with lots of nice, small towns."

The two have managed to stay motivated despite the long trip.

"We just get up every day, no choice," said David. "Some days are rough, rainy and windy."

"But we set our own pace ... if we are having a miserable day, we just stop," said Alley.

The toughest run mentally for the pair was Northern Ontario.

"It never ends," they said in sync.

Physically, the prairie winds took a toll on the bikers.

Alley's health has been good on the journey. There was one hiccup in Northern Ontario. She got sick with a cold.

For CF sufferers a cold has serious consequences. It made Alley vomit up food and increased the mucous in her lungs.

Losing nutrients from being sick is hard enough under regular circumstances for a CF patient. But for it to happen under arduous conditions like a bike tour across the country could have been disastrous.

Alley kept up her regular routine of consuming eight enzyme pills before every meal in order to break down food for nutrients to keep her alive. She also took her usual six other vitamins and enzymes throughout the mornings.

After doing this, she inhaled an antibiotic with an inhalant machine and did chest compressions to loosen up the mucous in her lungs.

While she would do all of this, David packed things up so they could get back on the road.

The cold eventually went away.

Alley did her homework on what she would need to eat on the journey.

"I talked to a dietitian before the trip to learn what would be good for me to eat," she said.

She mostly eats carbs and protein.

"Carbs, lots of carbs," she said.

Both have lost about 15 pounds on the trip, but are holding up well.

"We drink a lot of Gatorade to help with energy on the trip," said Alley.

The pair has raised $5,000 so far. The $400 dollars they received from the Florenceville Kin Club on Saturday will be put in the pot as well.

Alley said she doesn't expect a cure.

"Treatment has gotten better in the last 20 years, especially when the CF gene was isolated in the early ‘90s ... you never know, they might find a cure ... I'm hoping it will be a disease that can be managed, like diabetes," she said.

David and Alley welcome any donations to their trip or to CF.

They also thank everyone who have helped them along the way – from the guys fishing in Manitoba who fed them and gave them money, to the man who gave them a free bike tune up in Saskatchewan.

"People have been so great along the way," said David.

You can follow the journey of David and Alley Watson at http://bikecanadaforcf.weebly.com/index.html or on the CF Web site at http://www.cysticfibrosis.ca.

You can also make a donation in honour of the Alley and Davey Bike Trip at the CF site or mail it to Alley and Davey Bike Trip, 75 Main St., Petitcodiac, N.B., E4Z 4L9.

The tour is expected to wrap up in St. John's, Nfld., on Aug. 8.
© 2008 CanadaEast Interactive, Brunswick News Inc. All rights reserved.

Times Transcript  July 18,2008


N.B. siblings on cross-country bike trip for CF Published Friday July 18th, 2008 Alley and Davey Watson of Petitcodiac are raising money to fight cystic fibrosis A10 BY NICK MOORE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF  A brother and sister from Petitcodiac will be arriving in their hometown next week after biking more than 6,000 kilometres (3,000 miles) from the other side of Canada. But Allison (Alley) and David (Davey) Watson won't be home for long -- both will be back on the road soon after their homecoming Monday to wrap up the rest of the cross-country bike trip they began May 8.

The brother and sister are raising money in the fight against cystic fibrosis.

Alley, 21, has the disease, which affects her lungs and digestive system. She wanted to raise awareness and money to fight the disease. Her brother wanted to support her with the goal.

"Allison has sort of always had that desire to do something," says her mother, Donna. "Sometimes when you're afflicted with something like that you have that feeling 'What can I do?'"

People who suffer from cystic fibrosis have a defective gene where the gene's protein produces unusually thick and sticky mucus. This mucus clogs a person's lungs and can lead to life-threatening lung infections. The heavy mucus also obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation estimates one in every 3,600 children born in Canada has CF. Alley's older sister Amy also has the disease and both were diagnosed at birth. Davey doesn't have CF.

Both Alley and Davey began considering the idea of biking across Canada just last year.

"They kind of started talking about it in September and threw the idea around," says Donna.

By Thanksgiving both decided they'd definitely be spending their summer on the highways of Canada. Alley is about to finish her science degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax. Davey just finished his first year at Mount Allison University, where he's also pursuing a degree in science.

For Christmas, both brother and sister asked their family for gear they'd need on the trip. Alley and Davey also did training during the winter in preparation for their long journey before setting off from Vancouver more than two months ago. To begin their trip both dipped the back wheel of their bikes in the Pacific Ocean.

Since that symbolic start, the brother and sister have been trying to average 100 kilometres a day on the road.

Donna says the family has always biked together and Davey has some experience biking longer distances, but neither Alley nor Davey had ever undertaken something of this magnitude.

Biking across the country would be a big enough task on its own but Alley also has to treat her CF while on the road.

"We always want to encourage their dreams and certainly wanted to encourage Allison in any dream that she had," says Donna. "But of course we were apprehensive of whether she could do it and what kind of toll it would take on her."

Alley has to take medication daily to help her digest food in addition to other supplements because she can't eat enough food to keep her weight healthy.

While traveling, she's had her medication waiting for her in different parts of the country so she doesn't have to lug it all with her while on the road.

Alley and Davey are expected to reach Petitcodiac at around 5:30 p.m. on Monday. They'll be escorted from the highway by a fire truck into the town where a celebratory barbecue will take place. Donations to fight cystic fibrosis will also be accepted.

After their homecoming in Petitcodiac, the brother and sister will continue their travels through New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island by way of the Confederation Bridge. From the Island, Alley and Davey will take the Wood Island ferry from P.E.I. to Nova Scotia. They'll journey through Cape Breton and then on to the ferry destined for Newfoundland and Labrador. The tour is expected to end Aug. 6 in St. John's after covering about 7,559 km (4,696 miles) of the country in 91 days.

Donna says it's in St. John's where she'll once again meet up with her children.

"We're going over to bring them home," says the proud mother.

The Bugle Observer (Woodstock, N.B.)

Siblings tackle cross-country trek for Cystic Fibrosis, stopping in Centreville at their grandparents' home  By Cheryl Norrad

Imagine your child with a fatal disease that has no cure, leaving them gasping for breath and drowning in mucus built up in their lungs.

 
Siblings Alley and David Watson dip their rear bike tires in the Pacific Ocean before heading across Canada to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. Alley and David Watson stopped in Pembroke, Ontario during their Bike for Cystic Fibrosis tour across Canada to raise money for a cure. Making it worse, the mucus also blocks pancreatic ducts affecting digestion that can cause malnutrition in your child to the point of death.

That is the nightmare of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) that many Canadian children and their parents endure every day.

Forty years ago the search began for a cure for CF in a time when children with the disease didn't live long enough to start school.

It is an inherited fatal disease that affects mainly the lungs and digestive system.

Today, CF sufferers must take artificial enzymes (up to 20 pills a day) with every meal or snack to breakdown food to absorb adequate nutrients for the body.

They must also undergo a demanding daily routine of physical therapy designed to keep the lungs free of congestion and infection.

Although the enzyme pills help those with CF live longer, there still is no cure.

Alley and David Watson want to help change that.

The brother and sister pair from Petitcodiac are currently biking across Canada to help raise money and awareness for a cure to the disease.

Alley, 21, and a fourth-year student at Dalhousie University, was diagnosed with CF at birth, along with her older sister Amy, 26.

David, 18, managed to escape the disease, but wants to help his sister in her goal.

The two left Vancouver on May 8 for their Bike Canada for CF adventure and are logging around 100 kilometres per day.

For the New Brunswick leg of the journey, the pair will be biking from Edmundston to Fredericton around July 17 to 20.

On their way through Carleton County, they will be spending July 18 and 19 in Centreville at the home of their grandparents, David and Hazel Watson.

Joan Pryor is an aunt of the kids and says they are doing good on their journey.

"The family was concerned about her [Alley] doing the trip, but she exercised before she went and is doing well ... she's had no major problems with her illness on the trip," she said.

Pryor said the Kinsmen have been very supportive in helping Alley and David on their trip. The group has provided meals and places to stay along the way.

But there are times when they don't have a roof over their heads after they've done a hard day of biking.

"Sometimes they pitch their tent and sleep on the side of the road," said Pryor.

Alley and David have been putting dispatches from the trip on their Web site at http://bikecanadaforcf.weebly.com/index.html.

Their latest was on July 6 from Pembroke, Ont.: "Today we did 115 km to Almonte.

"It was a long sunny day. Thanks so much to the Pembroke Kinettes for the great day yesterday."

You can also see pictures and follow their progress on the Web site.

If you want to contribute to their bike ride, go to the CF Web site at www.cysticfibrosis.ca and donate to the Alley and Davey Bike Trip.

A personal financial contribution to the cost of the trip can also be made by mailing it to:

Alley and Davey Bike Trip

75 Main St.

Petitcodiac, N.B.

E4Z 4L9

If you can imagine your child with the disease, you can imagine a cure.

Help make that a reality by giving to Alley and David.

The Daily Observer (Pembroke)

Posted By BY DANIELLE VANDENBRINK, STAFF WRITER A brother and sister duo who are making their way across Canada this summer to raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis made a stop in Pembroke Saturday.

Alley Watson, 21, and her brother Davey, 18, were invited to Pembroke by the city's Kinette Club, who found sponsors to provide accommodation and food for the siblings.

The pair, both university students, from Petitcodiac, N. B., started their journey on May 8 in Vancouver. Currently their goal is to complete the ride in three months, ending on August 3 in St. John's, Nfld.

Cystic Fibrosis, a fatal inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system, has touched the lives of both of the adults. Ms. Watson herself has CF, as well as their older sister Amy.

Mr. Watson came up with the idea to bike across Canada, but when Ms. Watson joined the plan they decided any donations given would go to Cystic Fibrosis Canada. They began planning in September 2007.

"Eventually there should be a cure," Ms. Watson said. She said that although there is still no cure, scientists have made great strides over the past two decades from research.

Because of Alley's CF, she said the journey has been a lot harder on her than it has been on her brother.

Twice a day, Ms. Watson she uses an aerosol mask, as well as a variety of medication and artificial enzymes to break down her food after each meal and snack.

"It makes it hard sometimes when I'm feeling sick or tired," she said. "The hills are harder for me than Davey."

Besides raising awareness, the two said the ride has given them the opportunity to meet a variety of people and see Canada.

"It's been cool to see the changes from the mountains to the prairies," said Davey.
Both agreed that the most memorable place on their journey so far was the scenery they saw during an overnight stint at Mt. Robson Provincial Park, B. C., where they camped on Moose Lake.

They both said the biggest test of their physical and mental endurance was during their time in Northern Ontario, from Thunder Bay to North Bay.

Depending on the weather, the team will spend six to eight hours on the road per day.

They both agreed the most difficult part about the ride is the wind. They ride small road bikes with tires that resemble a mountain bike, and each has their camping gear, food, bike repair gear and medicine for Ms. Watson.

Since Ms. Watson needs to take numerous pills per day, the pair mailed medication across the country so they could pick it up along the way and cut down the weight.

Some stops, like in Pembroke, the two have been offered accommodation from groups or individuals.

If the pair has nowhere to stay during their scheduled stops, they pitch their small tent and use their one-burner stove to cook food.

"Some days we get places to stay which is always nice," Ms. Watson said.

They also said that as of now, they had been getting along for the most part, considering they are brother and sister.

Although they had no goal in terms of money, they have stuck with the goal of raising awareness.

They said that when people see what they are doing, they ask questions about the ride and learn about CF.

"Everyone always asks us what we're doing and why," Ms. Watson said.

Mr. Watson said sometimes people were surprised when they are told about the journey.

"They thought we were kind of crazy," he said. "But people are usually impressed. Everyone is really nice and supportive."

Almost every day, their mother gets a text message updating her with their progress, which she posts on their website at http://bikecanadaforcf. weebly. co m

Donations to Cystic Fibrosis Canada can also be made on the website.

While in Pembroke, The Kinsmen Club of Pembroke donated $500 to the pair, which they said would help buy groceries. The Kinette Club also donated $100. CF Canada is the official charity of the Kinsman and Kinettes.


Article ID# 1106354

Road Trip!  Davey and Alley's Amazing Adventure


By Sharon L. Fawcett
Allison and David Watson (a.k.a.
“Alley” and “Davey”), of
Petitcodiac, are biking across
Canada this summer to raise
awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and
how it affects Canadians. The
sibling team began their 7,600
kilometre journey in Vancouver on
May 8th and arrived in Manitoba
one month later. “Having Cystic
Fibrosis myself,” Alley says, “I feel
that this will be a huge
accomplishment and hope to
encourage other people
with Cystic Fibrosis that anything
is possible and that [the disease
does not define who we are or what
we can do.”
On their journey Alley and
Davey have sighted bear, elk, and
other wildlife; slept in motels,
homes, campgrounds, and on
beaches; and brushed their teeth in
Moose Lake (“the prettiest lake in
the world,” they say). They’ve
endured rain, cold, headwinds, and
even a tornado watch, but have also
been blessed with beautiful scenery,
interesting people, and safety—in
spite of Alley’s fall in North
Battlefield, Saskatchewan.
The duo cover roughly 100
kilometres per day, but when the
headwinds are strong, progress is
slower. Pedalling between six and
ten hours each day can give a person
a huge appetite and, according to
reports, when you’re that hungry,
everything tastes good! At the motel
in Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Davey and
Alley feasted on the moose burgers
and fries other guests were cooking.
After Davey downed five burgers,
they were given the leftovers for
their trip the next day. At a hotel in
Plunkett, Saskatchewan, they
enjoyed a hot, greasy supper and a
batch of “super yummy” cookies that
a kind lady gave them (and that
Davey secretly finished off that
night before bed).
Along the way Davey and Alley
have been interviewed for television
and radio news programmes.
They’ve relied on the kindness of
strangers and God’s provision for
food, accommodation, and other
needs. After pedalling over
mountains, through valleys, and
across prairies they’ve learned that
“wind is worse than hills.” And
through their website posts each day,
they’re teaching us lessons too.
Through this journey of a brother and
a sister, with a disease that affects her
lungs and breathing, we’ve learned
that in life the will is more powerful
than the obstacles, or “hills,” we face.
Perhaps their example will help us be
more determined to persevere in spite
of personal challenges.
With an estimated arrival in
Petitcodiac of July 21, Davey and
Alley welcome others to ride with
them. You can follow their journey online
at: http://snipurl.com/2f83n.
For more information on Cystic
Fibrosis, visit: www.cysticfibrosis.ca.
To help find a cure for C.F, visit:
http://snipurl.com/2f8ps
and place a donation “In Honour of
Alley and Davey Bike Canada.”