Boston to Austin

Gig Harbor couple embarks on bicycle trip about life, music and concern

Marques Hunter

of the Gateway

Max Larkin felt confused when he discovered his father was diagnosed with Young Onset Alzheimers at age 56. He and his girlfriend, Emily Boardway — both 2002 Gig Harbor High School graduates — had just finished college at the University of Washington.

Larkin and Boardway were ready to enter the job market with degrees in global and international studies. Along with the rest of the Larkin family, they put life on hold to take care of Dr. Hugh A. Larkin II, now 59, whose condition has gotten worse.

Larkin II got so sick that his family admitted him to the Gaffney House in Seattle, a residential facility that houses more than a dozen people with mental diseases. Larkin II is the youngest person in the house.

Max Larkin said he began to feel isolated, too, because he didn’t know where to turn. He represents a small demographic of children across the country whose mother or father has the disease.

Unfamiliar with the life-altering circumstances, Larkin and Boardway chose to tell their story by going on a bicycle journey across a significant portion of the United States.

“What better way to tell the story than the children,” Boardway said.

The two recently completed the first leg of the trip, an 1,100-mile ride down the West Coast from Seattle to San Francisco.

Their project, Spoke Your Mind, is designed to reach out to Children of those with Young Onset Dementia. Their goal is to create awareness and provide an open forum for COYOD.

Larkin said there’s a lack of resources, so this is a way to pull people’s stories together.

“To take something as terrible as dementia and turn it into something positive is something we are very proud of,” Larkin said.

Larkin and Boardway believe their first leg was a success. They coordinated with the Alzheimer’s Association’s local chapter in Portland and met with people. Their decision to ride has inspired others to provide accommodations during their exhausting bicycle trek through the mountains and down the coast.

Of the 56 days they rode from Seattle to San Francisco, they spent 33 nights at people’s houses, mostly strangers. In the two months they spent on the first leg of the journey, they connected with numerous COYOD, mostly through word of mouth.

Their physical efforts will increase because their second leg is nearly four times as long. Using their iPhones to navigate, they predict it will take about four months to finish the trip.

They plan to leave from Boston on Saturday and stop at eight major cities before reaching their destination point of Austin, Texas.

Bike documentary

One intriguing aspect of the couple’s trip is the documentary they plan to film. Along the way, they will interview people and film their experiences.

They interviewed 17 people from Seattle to San Francisco, and they’ve captured more than 30 hours of footage. Some of their interviews can be viewed at www.spokeyourmind.org.

Once the trip is complete, their goal is to edit the video and create a documentary that can be used at film festivals and as a form of reference material for Young Onset Dementia.

“We’re hoping that, with filming, we can bring more understanding,” Boardway said.

Boardway added it’s their hope that sharing their story and others they collect will help break the stigma attached to dementia being solely an elderly condition.

Music inspires life

Larkin II shows very little connectivity to the outer world. Most of the time, he’s trapped inside a blank state of mind.

But when he hears music, it triggers a strong mental chord. He will begin to sing a song, or his eyes will light up with joy. It’s one of the only ways Larkin and the rest of his family can noticeably connect with him.

“Music seems to be a standout form of communication,” Larkin said. “It helps him be part of the family.”

Music will be woven into the documentary as a way to reflect the power it has on people with dementia or Alzheimers.

Fundraising process

Larkin and Boardway rely heavily on donated funds, and they don’t have all the money they need to complete the second phase of their journey.

The couple is in the process of getting a non-profit exemption through their Web site. They hope more people can contribute to ensure a financially successful project.

What’s happening

Max Larkin and Emily Boardway have created project called Spoke Your Mind. It reaches out to Children of those with Young Onset Dementia (COYOD).

They are still looking to raise money for their second leg of their tour, which will start Saturday and go from Boston to Austin, Texas. Visit www.spokeyourmind.org to donate to their non-profit organization. All proceeds will go toward funding their project.

They will be blogging and posting video shorts of their second leg along the way. You can view some of their interviews from their Seattle to San Francisco trip now by visiting www.spokeyourmind.org.

Larkin and Boardway expect the trip to last about four months.

They will use their iPhones to navigate the 4,000-mile journey.

Along the way, they plan to interview random people for a documentary. When the trip is over, they will look to release a movie as a way to dispel the idea that dementia is solely an elderly condition.

They will tow a combined weight of 160 pounds, which includes most of their video equipment.

They won’t be followed by a support crew. They will be on the road alone.

Larkin and Boardway formed Spoke Your Mind to build conversation for COYOD in three ways: online, on the road and film.