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Optic Neuritis on the Appalachian Trail

I am walking 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail to raise money for The Optic Neuritis foundation.

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Optic Neuritis on the Appalachian Trail

Optic Neuritis on the Appalachian Trail

Optic Neuritis on the Appalachian Trail

Optic Neuritis on the Appalachian Trail

Optic Neuritis on the Appalachian Trail

I am walking 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail to raise money for The Optic Neuritis foundation.

I am walking 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail to raise money for The Optic Neuritis foundation.

I am walking 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail to raise money for The Optic Neuritis foundation.

I am walking 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail to raise money for The Optic Neuritis foundation.

Adam Ryan
Adam Ryan
Adam Ryan
Adam Ryan
2 Campaigns |
Douglassville, United States
$435 USD 9 backers
21% of $2,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Highlights
Mountain Filled 2 Projects Mountain Filled 2 Projects

My name is Adam Ryan. I am 41 years old, suffer from a condition called optic neuritis, and have peripheral neuropathy in my hands and feet. Although I have less than 5% of my visual field left, my passion is hiking. Last year, to the surprise of my doctors, family, and friends, I successfully completed 1218 miles of the Appalachian trail. I hiked from Georgia to Hamburg, Pennsylvania. It was one of the most challenging and rewarding things I've ever done. This year, I plan to hike the remainder of the trail. I'll be hiking from Hamburg, PA to Mt. Katahdin in Maine, over 900 miles. It's my goal to raise $2 per mile for The Optic Neuritis Foundation.

The Optic Neuritis Foundation, Inc. is determined to increase symptom recognition, augment public awareness, raise funds to support research and provide financial assistance to individuals receiving the diagnosis. 

The Optic Nerve is vital in our vision because it carries the images from your eyes to your brain.  Optic Neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve. The main cause of Optic Neuritis hasn’t been determined but some causes are listed below:

  • A viral infection, including viral encephalitis, measles, rubella, chickenpox, herpes zoster, mumps, and mononucleosis
  • An autoimmune condition including lupus, sarcoidosis, Neuromyelitis Optica and Behcet’s diease
  • Cryptococcus, a fungal infection
  • Respiratory infections, including Mycoplasma pneumonia and common upper respiratory tract infections
  • When the immune system mistakenly targets the substance (myelin) covering your optic nerve, resulting in inflammation and damage to the myelin.
  • Multiple Sclerosis
Having Optic Neuritis can make hiking difficult. Not only are you dealing with the elevation changes, weather, and mental challenge....but sometimes you're doing it with little to no sight. I'll never forget being 6000 feet up in the Smokies when an Ocular Migraine hit me. My vision closed in and I lost all of the sight in one eye. The timing could not have been worse because it had just started hailing. I stood on the side of the trail while hikers passed me and got pelted with hail for 25 minutes until my vision returned. That was one of those days where I questioned what I was doing out there. Needless to say I pushed on. 
Please consider contributing to this fundraiser. Knowing that I am raising money for this cause is going to help me push through the toughest of days and your contribution is going to help spread the word about this condition that very few people know about. 
After contributing, Please feel free to follow my progress on the social media links posted below.
P.S. I'd like to thank some of the companies that have been generous enough to help me out with products for my hike. Without these companies, this fundraiser wouldn't be possible. 
Thank you Altra Running, Big Tree Farms, Simple Squares, Vitchelo, Dr. Bronners, Raw Revolution, Four Sigmatic, and the countless companies that requested to remain anonymous.  This fund raiser is possible because of your generosity.



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