David Flanagan recently biked from San Francisco to Los Angeles as a part of the AIDS/LifeCycle fundraiser in honor of his son Joshua, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 28 after being diagnosed with HIV.
View this video on YouTube
This father from Clifton, Texas, isn't the most likely candidate for a seven-day endurance ride that covers over 500 miles.
Flanagan was followed on his ride by YouTuber Davey Wavey, who hoped his story would inspire others.
Joshua's mother, who acted as a roadie for the event, also appears in the video to share her son's story.
She recalls the first moment she realized something wasn't right with their son's health. She urged him to see a doctor about his weight loss and nagging dry cough.
"They only treated his symptoms,” Joshua’s mother says.
Joshua was finally tested for HIV and when the results came in on his 27th birthday, they were positive.
According to AIDS.gov, a healthy number of CD4 (T cells) in an adult ranges from 500 to 1,200 cells/mm3. Joshua's count came back as only 2.
According to Joshua's parents, soon after being diagnosed the doctors argued against starting aggressive treatments, and his condition worsened.
Eventually deemed healthy enough to go home, Joshua was discharged from the hospital. Only a little over 24 hours later, his parents would receive word that their son's heart had stopped.
Flanagan hopes that his son's story will help others seek out the treatment or testing they need.
When asked what he thought Joshua would think of his father doing this ride, Flanagan replied, "We hope that he would be proud."
