The long and winding road

Andrew Glazer

o7 In March, Costa Mesa resident Tony DiLorenzo went public with his

plan to hike 2,600 miles up the West Coast.

Impressive, since the 26-year-old’s four-and-a-half-month solo journey

will take him through scalding deserts and towering snowcapped mountains,

from the Mexican border to British Columbia.

But more impressive is the clear reason behind his journey:

His little brother, Paul.

Paul DiLorenzo, a sophomore at UC Riverside, was born with thalassemia, a

rare, and potentially fatal blood disease. He has undergone blood

transfusions every month since he was a baby. And until recently, he was

fed medicine intravenously every night.

Tony DiLorenzo hopes his hike will help to raise awareness about this

virtually unknown disease, also known as “Cooley’s Anemia.” His goal is

to raise $20,000 for research and the f7 Cooley’s Anemia Foundation,

which helps bring young thalassemia patients together.

o7 “We really need support from each other,” Paul DiLorenzo said. “You

talk to other people and they kind of know what you’re going through. But

when you meet the patients, it’s a very uplifting experience.”

f7

* EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a regular series tracking

DiLorenzo’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail, as told by him to Daily

Pilot reporter Andrew Glazer.

Today: DiLorenzo Apartment, Costa Mesa; 20 hours before the journey

begins.

I’m ready. If I don’t leave soon, I’m going to go crazy.

I’m looking around my apartment right now and thinking “I’m not going to

be here again for five months.” Wow.

I took a long, last shower. And [my wife] Alisa and I had a masseuse come

last night and give us massages. We’re just taking it easy. No partying.

We’re just enjoying our last couple of hours together.

If you look at normal backpackers and hikers, they go away maybe two

weeks a year. That leaves them about 10 days in the wilderness. I’m going

to be out there for 130 nights. There’s an experience.

It’s really tough to train for something like this. It’s not like you can

go out and walk 2,600 miles. When you’re doing a 150-mile bike race, you

can go out on a weekend and ride 150 miles. A friend of mine said he knew

I had it in me. Those words of encouragement helped motivate me.

All the planning is done. I’m just looking forward to meeting the

thalassemia patients, parents and families after the trip. And then

giving slide shows to show people my trip and make them more aware about

the disease.

The question is: how can we get people more interested in thalassemia?

My parents have been with me all along. When I told them in November my

plans, they said “Go ahead.” We said our goodbyes on Easter, but I’ll see

them again when I pass through Banning in a few weeks.

I’m confident. The secret is to break the 2,600 miles down; each morning,

I’ll think “Today will be 20 miles. And there will be a break every three

hours.” I especially can’t think “four months to go” if it’s raining or

snowing. If I looked at it that way, I think I’d kill myself.

People are calling me from all over. It’s amazing how much support and

generosity they’ve shared. That’s so awesome to see. A buddy from

college, now living in Irvine, saw my Web site and called me up just last

night.

It makes you look at the world a little differently.

I really know I’m going to finish.

Alisa will be home, busting her butt here. There’s no way in hell I’m

going to let her down. I’m never going to let my brother down. And with

all the people praying and following my trip, now that’s a whole other

reason to keep going.

FYI

To find out more about thalassemia and read the “virtual postcards” Tony

DiLorenzo sends from the trail, visit his Web site: o7

www.7000000steps.homepage.comf7