Pennsylvania man, biking cross-country to raise TBI awareness, visits Creston Thursday

Five years ago, Doug Markgraf was hit by a Dodge dual-cab truck while he was biking in his home town of Philadelphia.

It was a hit-and-run accident. He was left on the side of the road, unconcious.

The resulting injuries were numerous: broken bones and a shattered wrist. More devastating, however, was the injury that couldn’t be outwardly seen, a diffuse traumatic brain injury that sent Markgraf into a two-week long coma.

Now a survivor of a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), the 25-year-old Markgraf has set a goal this summer to bike his way from California to New Jersey in the hopes of raising TBI awareness and motivating other survivors along the way.

Markgraf continued his trek to the east coast Thursday, cycling across southwest Iowa from Red Oak to Creston. Markgraf, who arrived at about 4:30 p.m., stayed overnight with Marcia Fulton of Creston, and began cycling this morning en route to Des Moines to visit another traumatic brain center.

Markgraf said he will reach out to recovering patients, their families and the media along his route to share his story. By telling his story, he hopes to motivate patients to work toward as complete a recovery as possible.

“I love cycling, and I want to show people that even after an injury of this magnitude, you can still do the things you love,” Markgraf said Thursday. “I’m visiting traumatic brain injury centers across the united states, including one in Iowa (Glenwood), already. I hope I can be inspiration to the people I meet.”

The 3,000-mile trip from California to New Jersey will also be the subject of a documentary film centering around his recovery and campaign to bring awareness to the unique challenges of brain injury rehabilitation.

To follow Markgraf on his journey across the United States, visit www.dougtrails.wordpress.com