I am riding the Courage Classic in support of my daughter, Madeleine, and the great staff at the Kidney and Transplant Centers at Children's Hospital Colorado.
In February 2019, my daughter’s kidneys suddenly failed. If it wasn’t for the quick action and expertise of the staff at Children’s Hospital Colorado, she probably wouldn’t be here today. She was diagnosed with Goodpasture Syndrome, which is an autoimmune disease that makes antibodies that attack the lungs and kidneys. The good news was that her lungs were fine. The bad news was that her kidneys were damaged beyond repair. By March 2019, she was declared as having End Stage Renal Disease, and we began our journey toward kidney transplant.
Dialysis kept Madeleine alive for another year, but it wasn’t ideal. She was weak and tired of the restrictions and medications required to keep her as healthy as possible. Luckily, after a long process of therapy, treatments, interviews, and labs, she was approved for transplant. My wife was a donor match, and transplant was scheduled for March 20, 2020.
In the days leading to transplant, everything was good to go except for one problem….COVID-19. Two days before surgery, her transplant was postponed indefinitely. That was devastating, but we did what we could to keep her spirits high and remain hopeful that we would receive a new transplant date. A month later, we were back on track, and transplant was rescheduled for April 27, 2020.
The transplant went perfectly, and both Madeleine and Mom recovered without any issues. It has been 4 years since she received her new kidney and she is doing great. We are so thankful to have our happy, humorous child back. We will always hold her care team in our hearts. They are the greatest heroes we will ever know.
Please help me reach my goal of $1,000. The Courage Classic is not only a personal challenge, but also an opportunity to support positive outcomes and healthier futures for children, like Madeleine, who are facing difficult medical conditions.
