A Little History on Gregory Maassen

Gregory contracted peripheral neuropathy (PN) from a viral infection while working in South Africa in 2017.  The neuropathy progressed to the point that he had to stop working in August, 2018.  Finally, Gregory was properly diagnosed with small fiber peripheral neuropathy by Dr. Ahmet Hoke, probably the premier expert on peripheral neuropathy, at Johns Hopkins who provided expert diagnosis, care and suggested Gregory exercise to manage his symptoms.  Gregory took up e-biking.  Gregory says that he couldn’t walk but he could e-bike!

Who knew what Gregory, a very organized and determined man, would do?  E-biking became his passion.  He set up a group called E-bike Lovers (www.ebikelovers.com).  He began researching a possible bike trip across the country, training for it and now has started a transcontinental journey on April 2.  He has aligned with The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy (FPN) so that all donations which are tax deductible go towards the FPN’s mission of raising awareness, providing information and support and funding research to find a cure for PN.  With a targeted public relations program, we hope to receive extensive media coverage along the route.

Gregory, a Dutch citizen, suddenly had to change the date he was staying at my house as he was notified of his date to conduct his U. S. citizenship interview and had to return to Washington D.C.  I suggested he could go to Mexico and just cross the Rio Grande, but he is doing it the legal way.

For more information about Gregory's tour, go to www.ebiketour.org.

The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy's (FPN) 2021 Accomplishments

• Received increased donations by 29%, and 36% after bequests
• Successfully advocated for the inclusion of PN as an eligible condition for funding under the DoD Peer Reviewed Medical Research Grant.  Our efforts paid off:
  • The Department of Defense funded 7 projects worth $8.0 million in PN research
• Created 2 $150,000 Clinical Research Training Scholarships in collaboration with the American Brain Association and the American Academy of Neurology in PN research
• Overhauled our website for ease of use and allowing continual additions of new information
• Added more informational webinars after successful beginning during the pandemic in 2020
• Greatly increased exposure through social media

For more information about peripheral neuropathy or FPN, go to The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy's website  (www.foundationforpn.org).