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On March 25th, our friend Joe Tonsager, the owner and proprietor of JPaks, is going in for open heart surgery. This patch is available for purchase to help raise funds for this serious operation. Learn more here…
I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Tonsager of JPaks just before the Bikepacking Summit a few years ago. Despite only spending a few days with him, it was clear that Joe is a super positive and kind person with a heart of gold. And, of course, he makes some of the most clean and well-executed custom bikepacking bags out there. I recently heard about a major challenge that he’s facing and wanted to spread the word to help build the positive vibes and help Joe through this massive procedure. Learn more below, and scroll down for a letter from Joe below that best sums up the situation and procedure ahead.
To help support Joe, our friends at Falls Creek Outfitters made the OHS Support Patch, which is available now for a donation. Made with Falls Creek Outfitters’ usual excellent level of detail, the patch measures 3″ across and comes in Silver/Red or a Cotopaxi edition. Find details and get yours over at JPaks.com. You can also follow along with Joe’s journey at the blog he put together to gather his thoughts during this process, Heartbeats Rhymes & Life.
My name is Joe and I am a 38-year-old male who was born with a bicuspid aortic valve and I am about to undergo open heart surgery to replace that bad valve in 18 days.
My aortic valve has degraded to the point where replacement is the only option and open heart surgery is the only choice. Oddly enough, being young and health puts you in the “open heart surgery” category so the surgeons can have the best possible working situation. I will have a Bentall procedure performed to replace the aortic valve along with the aortic root that carries blood away from the heart and to the carotid arteries. Basically, we’re getting rid of the bad valve and bad tissue surrounding it in one shot.
I have chosen to have an On-X mechanical valve installed in my heart. It’s been a wild ride the past two months with information and choices. I mean, when do YOU get to choose what’s going in you for a medical procedure?! Daunting but very empowering too.
It’s kinda crazy, definitely intense, and a lot to take in, but I want to be a resource for other young open heart surgery patients who enjoy a full and active lifestyle. Life doesn’t end with open heart surgery. Rather, it’s just the beginning!
Bikes have always been a part of my life and I’ve been cycling since I was a young child. I even raced some NORBA XC events back in the day as a teen growing up in Minnesota, but my heart (literally and figuratively) was always drawn to long days in the saddle exploring the back roads and back woods of the Midwest, which led me to Colorado.
Most of you will know me as the “J” in JPaks, a small business that was born out of the desire to explore, create, and provide the best equipment possible for bikepackers. As a one-man-band, something like open heart surgery will have me out of the shop for the operation and subsequent recovery for a period of approximately 6-8 weeks. During this time “standard” Paks will still be available but no custom work will be started.
I will be down for a bit, but I will be back!
-Joe
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