Apart from a few months in grad school, I didn't own a car until my mid-30s when James and I moved to the mountains to have and raise our boys. When I wasn't traveling to the far reaches of the planet (which was most of 20s , I pretty much lived on a bike. I even had a short career as a cycle courier in London (until malaria got the better of me...). But, spurred by wonderful teammates in Special Care, my physical therapists and James, I bought my first bike in 30 years a month ago so that I could participate in the Children’s Hospital Colorado's Courage Classic bicycle tour. I rarely go for these sponsorship events, but I would love for you to support me in this endeavor.
As most of you know, the whole reason I do what I do and work where I work is because of the people we met along the way after Kailash was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition almost 20 years ago now.... Before I worked at Children's, I would see their fundraisers advertised and think "they have plenty of money, there are probably more deserving causes". Now that I work there and have seen what the funds from the CHCO Foundation are actually used for, I have changed my tune. I have seen the faces of the children who are the lucky beneficiaries of a gift from the Snow Pile around the holidays; I have seen others' faces light up when a service dog appears at their bedside; and I know how important that psychosocial support is for families whose child has just undergone a heart transplant.
With more than 50% of its patients having Medicaid 'coverage' (read 'lack of coverage'), CHCO's purse strings are ever more strained by its laudable commitment to provide the best care to all patients regardless of insurance status. This is one of the main reasons I love working there. The Foundation takes this commitment one step further, and looks to support the whole family in ways that CHCO cannot.
I'll be cycling 42 miles from Frisco to Vail and back on Saturday 7/20, followed by a 40-mile loop around Keystone on Sunday 7/21. My accelerated 6-week training program will only get me so far, so anything you can offer to help me pedal to the top of Vail Pass will be warmly appreciated by me and the many families that will benefit from the proceeds.
Thanks!
