Our AFTD-Team Athlete of the Month for July is Jefferson Adams from Missouri! Jefferson uses the Charity Miles app when he bikes and runs in honor of his mom Rebecca Ann, who was diagnosed with FTD in 2015 and passed away in 2021.

“I think about my mom a lot when I go biking – she was a huge proponent of sports and liked to cheer me and my siblings on from the sidelines. She enjoyed watching us chase our goals,” Jefferson shares.

Following Rebecca Ann’s diagnosis, Jefferson discovered AFTD as he sought to learn more about FTD and stay informed about ongoing research. In 2020, he was inspired to join a sponsored Charity Miles challenge, hoping that his participation would help advance awareness of FTD and support research that will lead to a cure.

Jefferson shares, “I obviously want there to be treatments that will address the different types of FTD, and a cure – and I choose to participate in research in the hopes that one day we will get there. In the meantime, we need to have more awareness and a better understanding of the disease so that people are no longer afraid of those who are living with FTD. People [with FTD] need to be supported – their families need to be surrounded with love.”

You can join Jefferson and become a supporter of AFTD’s mission of hope by downloading the Charity Miles app today! Want to go a step further and turn your daily workout into a fundraiser? Simply set a goal, create your own pledge page, ask your family and friends to support you, and then track your miles as you run, walk, or bike. Every mile helps increase awareness of FTD and raise funds to support AFTD’s mission and the people we serve.

Thank you to Jefferson, and all of our Charity Miles participants, for making your mileage count for the cause!