Wisconsin native raising money for Ronald McDonald House through coast-to-coast bike ride

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- One dad wants to know: how far would you go for your daughter?

For Jeff Bekos, the answer's 4,600 miles. He's riding his bicycle from coast to coast for a charity that helped save his girl's life. On Tuesday, he'll be at American Family Field for the Brewers-Phillies game.

Bekos is halfway through his coast-to-coast charity ride, and he'll be throwing out the first pitch Tuesday.

There's cheering outside Ronald McDonald houses across the country for Jeff Bekos, on a ride he calls, "One Dad's Mission." Here's a link for more information and where you can donate. 

"I mean I get a lot of my energy from knowing that there's probably a million-plus families across the world right now that are in a Ronald McDonald house due to their sick child," said Bekos.

In 2013, Bekos and his wife had a sick child. Their daughter, Hailey, 13 at the time, was hospitalized with a rare condition called anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

"Couple days after that, she stopped breathing, and then the following week she fell into a coma for four months. And then while in the coma, she would have hundreds and thousands of hours of seizures one day, and then the next day her heart would stop. So it's a horrible, horrible disease," said Bekos.

Afraid to leave her side, Bekos and his wife were sleeping in Hailey's hospital room, but not really able to sleep.

"Worried that if something happened, how would we rush back down? I don’t know, they saved our lives in many ways," said Bekos.

The Ronald McDonald House offered them a room close to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where Hailey was. Hailey ultimately recovered. Today she's a healthy 24-year-old.

"It's a blessing that this charity's there for families," said Bekos.

So as the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House prepares to celebrate 50 years in business, Bekos is giving back with this charity ride.

"The riding has been phenomenal. It was really hot in the beginning in California and Nevada, where it got up to 115 a few days, but overall, the weather's been great," said Bekos.

Bekos grew up in the Milwaukee area. The Wisconsin native's riding up to six hours a day, every day, except Sundays.

"Six days a week, so I can watch the Packers," said Bekos.