Racing for memories

"For such a short life, some people might wonder what his purpose was," said Michele Phua. "This way, his purpose was to make a lot of families happy."

For the first time this year, the children's portion of the Burlingame Criterium, an annual bicycle race, is being named after their son Ryan Phua. Ryan died in his sleep when he was just 2 years old from unexplained causes. After falling asleep July 7, 2003, Ryan simply never woke up.

Ryan and his twin brother, Matthew, were born even after John Phua was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1997. Since Ryan's death, the Phua's have been organizing Ryan's Ride for children under 12 and under.

So far, an astonishing 175 kids have signed up for the race on June 27 - most of them are under 4. Donations are recommended, but registration is free. Money raised from the race will go toward the Ryan Phua Memorial Fund. That money will be dispersed to cancer survivor groups in the Bay Area.

John Phua, an avid bicyclist for years, brought the boys to the race last year. They were too young to participate at the time, but they cheered their father on saying "more bikes, more bikes!" John Phua promised the boys they'd get to race this year.

Even though Ryan won't be there, the race is a way for the Phuas to remain close to their son. In fact, Michele Phua said one of the best parts of organizing the fund-raiser is getting to hear her boy's name in everyday conversation.

To help him grieve after the death of his son, John Phua started just "riding and riding." Eventually, he floated the idea to his fellow cyclists and suddenly the Phuas were organizing Ryan's Ride.

"To be able to do this has been challenging but healing," John Phua said.

Over the years, the Phuas hope to expand the race to include a fair and clowns. The idea is to make it a real community gathering. By watching kids learning how to ride their bikes and taking off their training wheels, John Phua said Ryan's spirit will remain with him and his family.

Matthew, now 3, is a train fanatic who likes painting and reading. His mother describes Matthew as a "typical toddler." Still, his parents have been open about the family's grieving.

"At 2-and-a-half, he knew he lost his best friend," Michele Phua said.

When former President Ronald Reagan's death gripped the news, Matthew said that his brother could now say hello to him.

Matthew just worked up the nerve to get on his the blue track tricycle that his father recently bought him. He's been training for weeks for the race .

Yunmi Choi can be reached by e-mail at yunmi@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.