I am so excited to gear up for my third Courage Classic in July. Once again, I will be riding with Orthopedic Institute’s Bony Express team for children with special bones.
This year I will be riding for..... some special child (still TBD) with skeletal dysplasia.
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 at this amazing hospital 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 will be shooting for the 80-mile Copper Triangle loop again with its 'not-for-the-faint-of-heart' 6,500’ elevation gain. 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.