Man Makes Cross-Country Trip To Honor Mother Who Died Of AIP

CROFTON, MD — Will Tucker decided on making the journey of a lifetime in support of the American Lung Association after his mother died of a serious lung disease. He's never ridden a motorcycle before, but will ride from Minneapolis, where he lives, to his home of Crofton, in what he's calling Breathe for Mom: A Mother's Day Ride.

In honor of his relationship with his mom, Tucker knew he had to make it home. "I knew that I needed to make it back to Maryland with my best friend, adorable Chesapeake, and mom’s granddogger, McKenzie, in the most defiant way I possibly could think of. Because that was our relationship – she’d always give me advice, and I’d never be able to take it and have to learn the hard way,” he said, according to an American Lung Association press release.

Will's mom, Julie Gray/Tucker passed away on March 14 of Acute Interstitial Pneumonitis (AIP), a rare lung disease, which is still largely a mystery to researchers. Scientists don't know the cause and there's no proven treatment. All proceeds from Tucker's ride are going to research for interstitial lung diseases, in hopes that he'll help prevent other people from going through the pain his family has.

Tucker's spirits are high. Even in describing the painful events of his mom's decline in health, his sense of humor shows.

Donate here at the Tucker's event Facebook page

"In five weeks I went from having a completely healthy, extremely active, new job loving, newly remarried, calling me to yell at me for not calling her enough and to plan a trip to visit me in Minnesota for Mother’s Day (because I am the favorite son!) mother, to having to take an unexpected call one Sunday morning that I’d have to come home to pull the proverbial plug on my mom," he said.

Tucker described the quickness with which the relentless disease took his mother, but he doesn't want to scare anybody.

"I don’t mean to share this story to instill fear in anyone. I only want to share how devastatingly fast AIP can take over, and have you grasp what it truly does – instead of just reading three letters that mean very little to most people (AIP)," he said.

"I’m on a journey to make it back to Maryland safe and sound with my dog, an adorable Chesapeake Bay Retreiver – McKenzie – in my newly acquired 1981 Honda GoldWing GL1100 with a Vetter sidecar to spend Mother’s Day with my family. Our first Mother’s Day without our mother," Tucker said on the event's Facebook page. So far, he's raised over $9,000 of his $15,000 goal.

Article image provided by American Lung Association