Cross-country e-bike tour comes to Auburn to inform about peripheral neuropathy

Auburn's Western Neuropathy Association will host Dr. Gregory Maassen as part of his four-month, cross-country e-bike tour in Auburn City Hall's Rose Room on July 6 at noon. Dr. Maassen, a Dutch-American filmmaker and peripheral neuropathy patient himself, has been on a solo e-bike tour across 11 states for several months as part of a collaboration with the Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration (PNNR) Center at Johns Hopkins University to spread awareness about peripheral neuropathy and press the importance of exercise in the treatment of the condition. "Peripheral neuropathy affects millions of Americans, but research is underfunded. We need to find a cure for all those who silently suffer from this debilitating disease," said Dr. Maassen, who will give a presentation, followed by a Q&A. "E-biking helped me restore my strength and sanity." Auburn Mayor Kelley Davis will also speak as part of the open WNA event. WNA is a nonprofit headquartered in Auburn dedicated to supporting those suffering with peripheral neuropathy, a painful neurologic condition with myriad symptoms affecting more than 30 million people in the US. Dr. Maassen's route spans more than 5,800 miles from Florida to California. He undertook the cross-country journey while battling with small fiber neuropathy triggered by a past infection and hosting community gatherings, panel discussions and documentary screenings. One in 15 people will experience some form of neuropathy in their lifetimes, more than Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis and Myasthenia gravis combined, and yet the condition isn't as widely known as others, according to WNA President Glenn Ribotsky. "Neuropathy as a condition has long suffered from a lack of a famous 'lightning-rod' spokesperson to attract research, attention and funding," Ribotsky said. Celebrity name recognition plays heavily into elevating public awareness of many health conditions. "There have been famous neuropathy sufferers, but they have seemed somewhat reluctant to come forward," said Ribotsky. "It may be because neuropathy has often been considered a secondary complication of something else, like diabetes or chemotherapy, rather than a debilitating condition in its own right worthy of concentrated investigation." For more information about the Western Neuropathy Association and the event with Dr. Maassen, visit www.pnhelp.org. For more information on Dr. Maassen and his journey visit ebiketour.org.