Bucks County Man Embarks On Fundraising Ride Across The Nation

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A 64-year-old Bucks County dad is on a mission to raise $5 million for the Ronald McDonald House Charities by biking 4,600 miles across the country.

Jeff Bekos of Doylestown embarks on July 29 from Irvine, California, on "One Dad's Mission" to raise money for and to thank the nonprofit organization for what it meant to his family in their time of need.

Along the way, he and his wife, Liz, will be stopping at 26 Ronald McDonald Houses and traveling through 26 cities, before finishing the journey on Oct. 19, the day the Philadelphia chapter - the first Ronald McDonald House in the nation - celebrates its 50th Anniversary Gala.

Ronald McDonald Houses provide families with a place to stay while their seriously ill children are being treated at nearby hospitals. The nonprofit houses are supported by individual and corporate donors and contributions made by McDonald's restaurant/franchise operators.

“The story of the Ronald McDonald House Charities is a great one,” said Jeff. “It is a beautiful example of how we can all work together to help each other during a child’s illness and a family’s struggle. My family is forever grateful to the Philadelphia House, the great staff, and amazing group of volunteers that supported us during the worst time of our lives.”

Their story began on July 5, 2013, at 8:15 a.m. - a day etched in their memories - when their vibrant 13-year-old daughter, Hailey, suddenly stopped talking during breakfast.

“She had come down for breakfast and asked me if I could make her something," said Jeff. "She then suddenly stopped talking. I thought she had a stroke because she had this craziest expression on her face.

“I told my wife something’s wrong with Hailey. I’m going to take her to the hospital. By the time I got back to the kitchen, Hailey was already in the car. So she could hear me but she couldn’t speak.”

He rushed Hailey to Doylestown Hospital where she suffered a seizure in the emergency room. She was later transferred to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

What followed was a tumultuous odyssey marked by numerous challenges and unforeseen twists, testing the resilience of the family to its limits.

Four days after arriving at CHOP, Hailey stopped breathing and the following week she fell into a coma that lasted four months.

With her brain shutting down, she suffered thousands of hours of seizures, she underwent grueling treatments and her heart stopped 10 times. She was eventually diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease in which she lost all control of her body. At one point, the doctors told her parents the eighth-grader at Lenape Middle School may not live, Jeff relates.

“It was tough. Every morning you just never knew what to expect. Every morning we were with the team. We didn’t miss one visit in the morning. They told us it was going to be a marathon," said Liz.

After eight months in the hospital, Hailey eventually began to improve bringing a positive end to the family's ordeal. She went on to make a full recovery and has no memory of what happened to her.

During Hailey's stay at CHOP, the Ronald McDonald House became a home away from home for Jeff and Liz. For 254 days, room 37 was their home.

“It’s a wonderful place,” said Liz. “Everything is provided for you, not only the necessities, but the people there are so welcoming and so understanding of what you’re going through.”

Now that Hailey has fully recovered, the family’s mission is to spread the word about the Ronald McDonald House Charities and to give back to the organization “which saved our lives.”

“The Ronald McDonald House Charities does amazing work. They were amazing to us when Hailey was sick,” said Jeff.

During their cross-country journey, they will be living out of a van donated to them by Camping World. The van is equipped with sleeping and cooking accommodations, TV hookups and air conditioning.

Jeff and Liz next to their Camping World van. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

“We came up with this idea about a year and a half ago because we were so thankful and blessed," said Jeff of his upcoming bike ride. "We wanted to do something really impactful to let the world know what these houses do for families and to educate the public,” said Jeff.

Jeff will be making his journey using a Fuji Kasane, a new to the market endurance and racing bike being donated to the mission by Bikeco in Philadelphia.

“I’m a big bicyclist and I have been for a long time. So I came up with the idea of a cross-country bike ride. My goal is to raise enough money to keep these houses going for another 50 years."

Jeff with his bike. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

Every 65 miles along the way, Jeff and Liz will be stopping at a Ronald McDonald House to highlight their vital work and the stories of families they assist.

"All the Houses are super excited by what we’re doing," said Jeff.

Keeping him going along the way will be the battle the family faced in keeping Hailey alive, the comfort provided by the Ronald McDonald House, the volunteers who keep the House going and the many families who have and who will benefit from the Ronald McDonald House.

“This is about them and making sure these houses are there for families when they need them," said Jeff. "That’s what will keep me going.”

In the weeks leading up to the trip, Jeff has been out cycling every weekend throughout the Bucks County countryside completing at least 65 to 85 miles per day. “I’ve also been watching my diet. I lost 20 pounds. It’s important to prepare both physically and mentally. I can do the miles, but I’ve never done them consecutively like that."

So what does Hailey think of her dad’s mission?

“She’s blown away by it. She’s like, ‘Dad, I can’t believe you’re doing this.’”

“She’s so proud of him,” adds Liz. “It gets him emotional.”

Donations can be made to OneDadsMission.org. You can follow his journey on social media @onedadsmission

From left: Liz, Hailey, Jeff and Brenden Bekos.