This is my second Courage Classic. Last year, spurred by wonderful teammates in Special Care, I bought my first bike in 30 years so that I could participate in the Children’s Hospital Colorado's Courage Classic bicycle tour. I was so inspired that I swore to do it every year until my legs will no longer carry me to the top of Vail Pass. This year I will be riding with Orthopedic’s Bony Express team for children with special bones… and specifically for Meg, who is one of the most extraordinary 12-year-olds I have ever met.
Meg has a severe form of osteogenesis imperfecta (aka brittle bone disease). She started having fractures before she was born and has had many more along with numerous surgeries over the years. She was on oxygen 24/7 until the age of 10 and was the youngest person in Colorado to get a power wheelchair at the age of 14 months. Meg has overcome enormous challenges and has spent so much time at Children’s Hospital that she describes it as her second home. At the same time, she has not allowed her diagnosis to take over her busy and fulfilling life. A middle schooler at the Denver School for the Performing Arts, she has won many competitions and awards with her incredible singing voice and has sung the National Anthem at both Nuggets and Avalanche games. In her free time, she started a scout troop for girls that don’t fit the typical mold and is an amazing advocate and inspiration for children with disabilities.
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.
This year I have set my sights on the 80-mile Copper Triangle loop, which is further than I have ridden since I was in my 20s. The 6,500’ elevation gain is daunting, and I sure would love your support to help me pedal to the top of those long climbs. More importantly, the families who benefit from the funds raised by the ride will thank you even more.
