A cancer survivor from Santa Clarita has been inspired to complete a 440-mile bike ride across California in an effort to raise money for cancer research, and to thank the medical professionals that saved his life.

“It was not long ago that this city and Henry Mayo, along with UCLA, saved my life,” said Jamie Alamillo, who has lived in Santa Clarita for 16 years.

On Nov. 19, 2013, Alamillo experienced sudden paralysis in both legs, and he was rushed to the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital emergency room.

Henry Mayo staff discovered that Alamillo’s paralysis was due to two lesions on his spine at the T7 and L4 vertebrae, which broke his back at both locations. The lesions were so severe Alamillo was told he would never walk again, and he was diagnosed with an advanced stage of Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer targeted in plasma cells.

Alamillo credits his survival to the hard work and expertise of the medical professionals at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital and UCLA Health – Santa Clarita.

“I’ve tried so hard to give Henry Mayo a thank you, and this is dedicated to them,” said Alamillo. “After my therapy, I saved (up) money and I was able to give them all lunch, but lunch is just a little thing. I owe them my life.”

After numerous rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and a successful stem cell transplant, Alamillo is now in his fourth year of remission, and not only walking but also running and cycling.

“They asked me what I want to do, and I said, ‘I want to walk,’ and they said, ‘Okay let’s do this,’” said Alamillo. “If it weren’t for them, (if it) wasn’t for them going with me, I wouldn’t have gotten to my goal.”

It is not only Alamillo that has been inspired by the staff at UCLA. Erica Alamillo, his wife, also began her own journey of giving back because of the services offered to her family.

Erica worked in education when her husband was diagnosed, and fell in love with the nurses caring for her husband at UCLA, according to Alamillo.

Erica decided to quit her job and take a front-desk position at UCLA, and has by this point made her way up the ranks to a high position in the facility.

“We needed insurance because cancer is expensive,” said Alamillo. “They called her at 7 p.m. asking her if she was sure she wanted to take this job because it was a big pay cut. She told them, ‘I love your staff, and I want to be a part of that,’ and they called back at 8 p.m. to tell her she got the job. Once she started, we had health insurance immediately.”

By this point, Alamillo has been training for the upcoming ride for some time and feels confident in his abilities. He plans to avoid the worst of the late-spring heat by getting an early start in the mornings, hopefully finishing before 2 p.m. at the latest each day.

“I’ve been training around the trails around here — they’re now my home,” said Alamillo.

As of Friday, Alamillo had helped raise $92,000, including $3,100 of his personal fundraising.

The money is set to go towards a research portfolio provided by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Through a disease-specific portfolio, donors can support multiple projects at leading cancer centers and universities that focus on specific blood cancers.

Alamillo is set to ride his road bike from Santa Clarita to Lake Tahoe alone, but with the help of his father-in-law as his “support crew,” encountering 20,000 feet of elevation gain over 440 miles.

Alamillo’s trek is scheduled to begin on May 23 and end on May 31, a total of nine days at an average of almost 49 miles per day.

He then plans to take a two-day rest and participate in the 28th Annual America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride alongside his wife, which is another 100 miles in one day.

Alamillo noted he decided to take on this challenge to cause real change, to thank the nurses and therapists at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, and to offer support and advocacy for the newly diagnosed, survivors and their families.

“I’m really doing this because I’m hoping that maybe I’ll give just one cancer patient hope,” said Alamillo. “They’ll be able to see someone who was a paraplegic, and now he is biking. I want them to know that there is hope out there.”

To donate to Jamie Alamillo’s campaign check out the website

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