The journey ends

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- Aside from his family, the thing Tony DiLorenzo said he

missed most was his bed.

After more than four months without the comforts of home, Tony, a

Costa Mesa resident, said Wednesday evening that it was all worthwhile.

He trekked 2,600 miles up the Pacific Crest Trail -- from Mexico to

Canada -- to bring public awareness to his brother Paul DiLorenzo’s rare

and potentially fatal blood disease, thalassemia.

“We have reached so many people who now know about Paul and other

patients like him,” said Tony, 27. “This is just the beginning for me,

not the end. And as we continue to reach people, we will make a

difference. In this society, making a difference is definitely worth it.”

Paul said he appreciates the sacrifices his brother made for him.

“Not seeing his wife was a huge sacrifice,” he said. “They love each

other a lot. He gave up his normal life -- his job, his belongings and

his way of life -- to do this for all this time.”

The older brother said he never thought of the journey as a sacrifice.

Tony’s wife, Alisa DiLorenzo, was incredibly understanding and helped to

spread the word about his journey and thalassemia, he said.

Being apart was extremely difficult for her, but Alisa said she is

glad they went through with it.

“It’s been amazing,” she said. “We’ve gained more than the sacrifices

we’ve made by being apart since April 28. The people who took him in and

helped him were wonderful.”

Deb Hylen, a family friend who works with Alisa, said she admires the

couple’s strength and dedication to the cause.

Tony’s cousin, Joe DiLorenzo, said he was shocked when he first heard

about the trip.

“I’d never known somebody who would even try such a maneuver,” he

said. “But Tony’s always had that kind of spirit that when he sets his

mind to something, he goes and does it.”

The mental challenge was the hardest part of the journey, Tony said,

but thinking about his younger brother helped him get through it.

“After a while, it was no problem for my body to hike 25 to 30 miles

every day, but it was a challenge to keep myself going,” he said.

“Whenever I was down, I’d look to Paul and think about what he’s gone

through. Four months of hell is nothing compared to what he’s gone

through his whole life.”

Paul, a computer science junior at UC Riverside, is treated for

thalassemia with blood transfusions every four weeks and medication to

help control the amount of toxic iron that results from the blood

transfusions.

Thalassemia is a condition that results in an irregular amount of red

blood cells -- cells that carry oxygen throughout the body.

As a surprise, Paul met his brother at the airport Wednesday.

“There are people who care and he is one of them and I’m so proud,”

said Paul, who added that he has been bragging about his brother for the

last four months. “This is one of the best things he could have done for

me. I am so excited, I’ve been having butterflies in my stomach all day.”