Romeoville Man Gets Ride of a Lifetime

It was a plan that was in the works for more than two weeks.

"He woke up saying, 'I'm going for a motorcyle ride,'" Cheri Regan said of stepson , who donned a Harley-Davidson bandana on Sunday to mark the special event — one of several the Romeoville man plans to complete as he fights a terminal degenerative disease.

"It was on his bucket list," Cheri said of the July 17 motorcycle ride, orchestrated by family and friends, many of whom met the man with the "contagious smile" through his wildly popular Facebook fan page.

Brandon, 25, is fighting degenerative cerebellum with ataxia, which is causing his cerebellum to shrink and, eventually, detach from his spinal cord. But the illness hasn't taken Brandon's zest for life, or deterred him from completing his to-do list.

On Sunday, supporters gathered at the Regan family's Romeoville home to see Brandon off on a motorcycle ride facilitated by a Facebook friend who goes by the moniker "Panhead Mike."

Mike, of Joliet, said he got involved after hearing that one of Brandon's dreams was to take a spin on a motorcycle. 

"I'm friends with some of [Brandon's friends] and they were saying he wanted to go out for a ride," Mike said. "So I said, 'Let's take the man out for a ride.'" Mike was able to provide a sidecar to allow the wheelchair-bound Brandon to take a Sunday afternoon motorcycle ride.

Friends and family, including an escort of seven motorcycles, showed up Sunday to cheer Brandon on as the ride began. The trek was to last about half an hour, according to Brandon's dad, Robert.

But the ride is just one item on Brandon's "bucket list." Friends are also hoping to raise money to help fulfill his dream to travel to Las Vegas to meet country music star Garth Brooks.

Two weeks ago, Brooks reached out to the Romeoville man after friends and family sent a deluge of message to Brooks' Facebook fan page. The country crooner sung his hit "The Thunder Rolls" with Brandon during an impromptu telephone call.

Cheri, who fielded Brooks' call, said she was stunned. "He said, 'Howdy, ma'am, this is Garth Brooks,' and I started bawling,'" she said.

For video of Brandon's duet with Brooks, click HERE.

To share your messages of support with Brandon and the Regan family, send cards and letters to Brandon Regan c/o Cheryl Regan, P.O. Box 8283, Romeoville, IL 60446.