My name is Brett Barker, I’m 29 years old, I have a passion for riding on and off-road motorcycles, and I have Cystic Fibrosis (CF). CF is a genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. The mucus in my lungs is abnormally thick and continued to gradually decrease the amount of air I was able to take in until I was unable to breathe. That is why on April 1 of this year I received a double lung transplant.
As a baby it was extremely difficult for me to gain weight no matter how much I ate. The doctors blamed it on the fevers and colds that I was prone to. One day when I was about nine months old, as I lay in my crib suffering from a fever, my grandmother picked me up and kissed me on my forehead. When she mentioned to my mom that my skin tasted extremely salty, my mom recognized that as a symptom of CF. Once the test confirmed the diagnoses, my parents were told that based on the current average, my life expectancy was just over 20 years.
For those of us who have CF, daily living includes therapies which can take hours every morning and night. We have routine checkups every three months where a team of doctors study our weight and lung capacity changes, review medicines we're taking, and help us to figure out ways that we can lead productive lives while meeting the demands required in battling this disease. If we get a cold that reaches our lungs or if our lung function get too low, we are admitted into the hospital for aggressive IV antibiotics and chest physical therapy, which helps to break up the bacteria in our lungs. For the last few years this would happen to me every eight to twelve months and my stay as an inpatient would last about two weeks.
Despite this disease I am committed to riding my street and dirt bike as much as possible. Motorcycles are a passion passed down from my dad to my older brother and I. Together we make it a point to use riding as a conduit for spending quality time with each other. When I was a teenager my brother and I raced motocross at our local tracks back in Washington. Now we all reside in the Bay Area and although the progression of my illness prevents me from racing, we take advantage of the motorcycle friendly attitude and weather that California offers.
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the single largest organization committed to improving and lengthening the lives of the over 70,000 children and adults that live with CF. 30,000 of us live in the United States. Because of the advancements in medicine and knowledge of Cystic Fibrosis, the average life span for someone living with CF is now up to 36 years. My parents and I have always made it a priority for me to volunteer for any research trial I qualify for. I know that with my help, researchers will be able to find a cure, possibly within my life time.
Two years ago my friend organized a charity motorcycle ride in Washington as a way to thank me for introducing him to the motorcycle lifestyle. All proceeds went to the CF Foundation. Organizing the event required a huge time commitment which he was unable to meet last year. His efforts inspired me to host a similar ride in the Bay Area. I was informed of Broc Glover’s Breathe Easy Ride in southern California shortly after. When I learned how successful and well organized his inaugural Breathe Easy Ride was, I decided to talk to the organizers of his event about hosting a “satellite” ride up here. After an unplanned meeting with Broc Glover himself, the Broc Glover’s Breathe Easy Ride – Bay Area (benefiting the CF Foundation) was created.
I like how this ride gives an opportunity for people to help out with a great cause by doing what they love to do. Hopefully everybody will make new friends and enjoy the events. In a few years maybe they’ll be watching the news on TV and a story about a cure being found for CF will catch their attention. Then they’ll be able to say, “Hey, I helped to make that happen”.
God Bless,
Brett Barker