Hi everyone. I'm riding this year for one of my patients, Zaya Rose Biel.
Zaya is a fiery little 5-year-old I have known since right after her birth. For a while, we called her Baby Z, but she's so grown up now, we call her by her formal name... Zaya has been a blast to look after both before and after her heart surgery, and she's crushing it--which is no surprise when you read her story. I look forward to our visits and am proud to represent her as a Middle-Aged Man Riding A Bike Up and Down Big Hills.
Her family has written her story below:
Hi! I'm Zaya! On New Year’s Eve in 2018, while my parents were celebrating, I surprised everyone by arriving 4 weeks early during a big Colorado blizzard.
When I met my parents that early New Year’s morning, they didn’t know that I had an extra chromosome or that I had a problem with my tiny heart. Faced with breathing challenges, a purplish tint started to glow on my skin. I was swiftly placed on oxygen and transported by Flight for Life to Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver. Despite the initial shock of learning I had an AV Canal Defect, Down syndrome, and some additional health challenges, my parents and I have defied expectations, embodying the true meaning of love, strength, and resilience.
Fast forward to today, and I am thriving and loving life. I have a passion for dancing and can’t resist grooving to a good beat. Water is my happy place—I love swimming in the pool and playing in the sand at the beach. Spending time with my family, especially my baby brother, Ziggy, is the highlight of my day.
My family has rallied behind me my entire life. I love them so much. I am happy every moment I get with my Grandparents: Lyly, Bennie, G, and Gammie; my Aunties and Uncles: Coco, Jessica, Justin, Anita, Ange, Dana, Alex, Lindsey: and all my cousins and my besties, Luna and Sophia. Sending love to heaven, I will always be my Grandpa Alex’s Princess Zaya.
My mom recalls a dream where I told her, “You think you’re going to teach me, but I’m coming to teach you.” Every day, I teach others about acceptance, empathy, and unconditional love just by being me.
