I ride to help support and advance the care of children like Gus.
Here are a couple words from Gus's parents Sara and Will:
To the delight of his parents, Sara and Will, and big sister Maeve, August 'Gus' Pickard was born 12/10/23. He seemed to be a healthy, happy newborn for the first six weeks of his life. He had great head control and loved looking around with his big blue eyes. His big sister loved holding him and giving him his pacifier. He was able to celebrate his first Christmas at home with his family. He suddenly developed difficulty breathing one evening when he was 6 weeks old. He was seen at Children's South ED and quickly transported to the cardiac ICU due to a severe coarctation of the aorta. He had emergency surgery to repair his coarctation the next day. Gus had several severe valvular defects that were not apparent until after his initial surgery. He fought hard for two weeks in the cardiac ICU but gained his wings at 8 weeks old 2/4/24. He is so loved, wanted, and dearly missed.
Your donation to the courage classic will help support research and quality improvement initiatives focused on decreasing mortality in patients with congenital heart disease and improving the outcomes and quality of life of patients with CHD. It will also go toward programs that help support our families as they navigate this emotionally and physically stressful journey.
