Why I ride
I ride for my daughter Michelle. Shortly after she was born, Michelle was diagnosed with a rare problem in her small intestine that caused internal bleeding. At 6 weeks of age, she had her first major bleed. Then we went through a series of tests, re-tests and re-tests of the re-tests without determining what the problem was. At 7 weeks, they had to perform abdominal surgery to determine the problem. I'll never forget when the Gastroenterologist came to us in the waiting room and said "We found the problem and we THINK we know what it is." They were correct, but there was no definitive treatment at the time. We ended up putting her on an experimental treatment that lasted almost a year. The bottom line is God gave us a miracle and they saved her life at Children's Hospital Colorado. That was a very long year and I can easily say the darkest days of my life.
Today, 34 years later, Michelle is a beautiful young woman. She rode in the 2002 Courage Classic. Words cannot describe the feeling I had when we crossed the finish line together. I can't say enough about Children's Hospital Colorado and their staff of caring, highly-trained professionals. They are truly amazing!
I rode the inaugural Courage Classic in 1990 just a few months before Michelle was born. The ride took on a whole new meaning after that. I have ridden in all 35 of the rides in the past 34 years (we had 2 rides in 1991). Each time I think back to that very long year so long ago, I am reminded once again how fortunate we were to have a facility like Children's Hospital Colorado when we needed it. It is difficult to fully express our gratitude. To the doctors, nurses and support staff...YOU ARE THE BEST...THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!
