Why I Ride
Every summer Children's Hospital of Colorado sponsors a two day mountain road bike trek in Colorado's high country, called the Courage Classic. Riders are challenged to collect donations to support the hospitals work, and physically challenged to ride over 100 miles, over some incredible mountain peaks. All the funds I collect are given directly to the Heart Institute at Children's Hospital Colorado.
I ride as a member of the Cardiac Climbers team, for kids like Willow.
"Willow is here today thanks to Children’s Colorado and her heart donor. She received her hero heart in August 2023 and has been thriving since. Willow had a 2-year battle where she fought so hard, but she usually had a smile on her face. Then there were times she sounded like a pterodactyl getting a dressing change for her line. I mean, fair, she had to have a little spunk and sass to get through such a long, hard battle. She would run the halls of Children’s as if she owned the place. For a while, that meant she was a boss baby in her walker. It was a struggle and kinda scary to keep up with her. She was so naughty she needed a sitter when we weren’t there so she wouldn’t pull her last line out. If she did, she would no longer be a candidate for a heart transplant. I would say the scariest babysitting job anyone has ever had. If you didn’t know her name, you knew her to be the girl in a swimsuit. Yes, this was another way we went about protecting her line. Pretty comical, but it got the job done. Every person in Children’s Colorado from volunteers, therapists, janitors, nurses, doctors, the cooks, chaplains, etc., you all touched our lives in a way that we will never forget. You kept us going on our hardest days, our darkest hours. Thank you, Heart Institute. I hope seeing Willow thrive and grow along with her friends keeps you going on your hardest days and darkest hours. As I write this, Willow will be 4 in just a few days. I never expected her to make it to her 1st, much less her 4th, and for that, I’m so unbelievably grateful."
Willow will not be the last child to face a life-threatening illness, and her family will not be the last to navigate a frightening diagnosis like hers. The Courage Classic is both a personal challenge for me, and an opportunity to support positive outcomes for kids and families who need Children's Hospital here in Colorado.
When I think about Willow and her family, their courage and dedication, it gives me energy and strength.
Please consider making a donation to Children's Hospital. Willow's family and I would really appreciate your help!
Love, Deb
