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“I was just trying to get him to donate,” Bingen says. “It was just so much more than I had ever expected. Jimmy made me feel very special that year.” Bingen, who has lived with multiple sclerosis since 1990, is well-acquainted with her brother’s tendency to go above and beyond. So it is not surprising how he responded a few years later when she casually mentioned, “You know they have a Bike MS Ride in Connecticut, too.” That's how Jimmy Lehn — or “Jimmy “Lane” as he’s known to listeners of the WCTY morning show — came to be standing in his local bike shop, looking around at the array of choices and feeling very confused. “I had no idea what to buy … but eventually I ended up buying a mountain bike,” says Lehn. “I found out later it was completely the wrong kind of bike for the ride.” That was in 2002. These days Lehn has all the right gear — including a Fuji Roubaix road bike — and is an avid year-round cyclist. The radio station where he’s been on-air for the past nine years, WTCY 97.7 out of Norwich, Conn., is once again a media sponsor for the two-day Bike MS: Mohegan Sun Ride 2008, presented by Cardio Express. The ride takes place Saturday, Sept. 27, and Sunday, Sept. 28, starting and finishing at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
For Bingen, the symptoms of multiple sclerosis began about 18 years ago with numbness in her left arm. At first she thought it was carpal tunnel syndrome, but her physician recognized this as a possible sign of MS. Bingen considers herself one of the lucky few for receiving a diagnosis so quickly. The often baffling symptoms of MS mean that many people live for years before being diagnosed. Bingen, who is married with two children — Alexa, 12, and Rick, 15 — has what’s known as relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. This means she can have long periods of relatively mild symptoms, punctuated by significant relapses. Lehn’s devotion to helping find a cure for multiple sclerosis has led him down his own path in life. His involvement in the MS ride unlocked a passion for the sport, and Lehn is now a year-round cyclist who regularly goes for 60- to 100-mile rides and is a member of the Pequot Cyclists club based in Eastern Connecticut. “It’s somewhat ironic, the fact that what I’ve done because of my sister’s MS, riding a lot like I do now, has actually made me a healthier person,” he says. “But for her, it’s just living day to day.” To learn more about multiple sclerosis, its effects, and programs and services offered by the chapter to those living with the disease, please e-mail programs@ctfightsMS.org or go to www.ctfightsMS.org. © Copyright by StamfordPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of StamfordPlus.com, Stamford Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. Related Articles: 5th annual “Hike Bike And BBQ Picnic” to be held at Putnam Park in Redding - Aug 25, 2008 - 12:29:02 AM Open call non-equity auditions for The Rocky Horror Show - Aug 22, 2008 - 2:00:50 PM Bike MS ride rounds the corner in race for a cure - Aug 20, 2008 - 12:10:17 AM Iron Maidens raises more than $8,000 to help find a cure - Aug 12, 2008 - 12:08:47 AM Iron Maidens sign on with Rock Cats to strike out MS - Aug 4, 2008 - 9:53:46 PM CURRENT HEADLINES: Top of Page
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