Welcome to my Courage Classic page! This is my first year participating in the Courage Classic, and I couldn’t be more excited. The Courage Classic is Children’s Hospital Colorado’s annual bike race fundraiser, and I’ll be riding with the Cardiac Climbers to support the Heart Institute. I am dedicating my ride to Linleigh — a brave and inspiring kiddo my fiancée, Mackenzie, had the privilege of caring for during her time at the hospital. It’s truly an honor to ride for such an incredible cause, and I’m proud to be part of this effort to support kids and families who need it most.
Here is a brief summary of Linleigh’s journey, shared by her father, Kaleb: "Linleigh was born with a heart defect that diminished the function of one side of her heart to basically nothing. She was then set on a path to have a series of three surgeries to restructure her heart so that one side would be fulfilling the role of both. The last of those surgeries was completed at the start of June 2023 at the Children’s Hospital in Denver. The surgery was a success and Linleigh - defiant as ever - surprised her doctors with a quick recovery and we were given the green light to come home.
However, she started having complications as soon as we arrived home and we were sent back to Denver. After about a month we were again given the green light and arrived home ready to settle in for the school year. Unfortunately, the same complications returned and we were again sent back to Denver. We were there through the New Year’s Day of 2024 until the doctors said that these persistent complications have now surpassed anything they have seen and they couldn’t do anything more for Linleigh in Denver and referred us to the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia.
After a medical flight, Linleigh and her dad found themselves even further from home with trepidation over another surgery that was more exploratory than targeted. Thankfully, and by the grace of God, the doctor in Philadelphia (who is world renown in this particular problem) was able to solve the problem and give Linleigh a fighting chance.
We have been home for over a year now with Linleigh improving every day.
We are still wary - the road to recovery is long - but God is good and our community has supported, encouraged, and prayed for us every step of the way.
Linleigh, through it all, is one of the most joyous people we have ever met and we have confidence that she will continue to do so.
She just celebrated her 6th birthday."
I would be incredibly grateful for any donations to help support children like Linleigh. Every dollar goes directly to the Heart Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Thank you for helping make a difference — your support truly means the world!
