“Dad, I’m going to the Titan Desert.” It was 2006 when this fast and difficult mountain bike race premiered in the Moroccan desert, the year in which Víctor González, at just 9 years old, also had his bone marrow transplanted after being diagnosed with myeloblastic leukemia. , the most common blood cancer. .
As Víctor explained, he was twice lucky: lucky that when he got sick so young he did not associate cancer with death and lucky that his sister was 100% compatible with him, “something that is very difficult to happen” , and may have been his donor.
From being a kid with a life like any other kid running around a neighborhood in Barcelona to “falling off the curb. They recommended I do sports and I started climbing the stairs at home, but then my father put me on a bike and I fell in love with cycling.
Now, in his late thirties, Víctor is part of the ‘Titan Leave a Trace ONT UNIVERSAE’ project which this week is traveling over 600 kilometers of Moroccan dunes with the aim of arousing social conscience to increase the number of organ donors.
“I’m alive thanks to my bone marrow donor and I can live a completely normal life,” says Víctor who, as evidence of humility, considers it common to travel Morocco by bicycle.
And, in the first stage of the test, Víctor covered more than 100 kilometers in just 7 hours in the bare and rocky mountains of Boumalne Dades, with 2,555 meters of elevation gain and sections of strong wind.
To all this we must add other difficulties caused by the disease. One of them affected and dried his eyes so much that he had to wear glasses that were completely closed so that no dust or air could enter. He also now has dysphagia which makes it difficult to swallow so he takes longer to drink.
But these consequences did not prevent him from being one of the brave, along with other transplant recipients, health personnel and relatives of donors, with ‘Titan Leave a Huella ONT UNIVERSAE’ are living a unique experience that, at the same time will enrich them forever, It serves as a cry of hope for all transplant recipients and, in Víctor’s case, especially for the little ones.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
