As a member of the "Gearing Up Griffiths "Team, I am supporting the Colorado Courage Bike Classic for patients like Forest. I will be riding the beautiful mountains of Colorado on July 19th-20th, with my daughter Moira and her friend Tim. On the first day, I will ride 80 miles from Copper Mtn. to Leadville to Vail Pass and back to Copper. Leadville (on my bucket list) has the highest elevation of any city in the U.S. On the second day, I will ride 61 miles from Copper Mountain to Frisco to Loveland Pass to Keystone to Frisco and back to Copper.
Forest's parents Gladys and Casey knew they would be spending a few weeks at Children's Hospital Colorado after his birth in 2016. In utero, Forest was diagnosed with heart defects that would require open heart surgery at 7 days old. What they didn't see coming was Forest's rare diagnosis of CHARGE syndrome, a craniofacial disorder. Forest and his parents spent the first six months of his life in the Cardiac ICU at Children's Colorado.
In 2019, Gladys and Casey made the difficult decision to move to Colorado to be closer to the expert care at Children's Colorado. During that time, Courage Classic team members began riding in honor of Forest, and Casey began riding himself in 2020. At the 2024 Courage Classic, Casey crossed the finish line with seven-year-old Forest riding right behind him—an unforgettable moment made possible by the caregivers at Children's Hospital Colorado.
I'm requesting your good vibes and a contribution to help raise money for Children's Hospital Colorado, directly supporting their patients and families. I'm very grateful for your support!
