I am doing something novel this year and not actually riding the Courage Classic because I am the primary care provider for our geriatric dog Peanut who can't travel. I still want to support Children's Hospital and raise money, so instead of riding the Courage Classic I will be riding a local ride called the 719 ride here in Colorado Springs which covers 71.9 miles and has over 9,000 feet of elevation up and down. It is at least as difficult as the Courage Classic Copper Loop ride with a few miles less mileage and about 150% of the total climbing involved.
I personally know four children who have been or are being treated at Children's Hospital. La La was born with cancer and is now cancer free, and now is considered cured and only requires an annual physical to monitor her condition. She's now going into 4th grade and loves music of all kinds. She is taking drum lessons, loves bicycling, the outdoors and bugs. Her dad says she really has an ear for music and recognizes when she hears a song that is using a riff from another song. She's an amazing kid and thanks to Children's Hospital she is leading an amazing life that otherwise wouldn't be possible.
Lu Lu has cerebral palsy and requires routine visits for treatment and therapy. She is very active and took up downhill skiing this past year with the aid of a sit-ski that is to downhill skiing what a wheelchair is to walking. She has also taken up horseback riding therapy, swimming and is also now able to use a treadmill with adaptive equipment and is very physically active. LuLu just completed 3rd grade and enjoys writing stories, music and making videos.He has a heart catheterization scheduled in Denver in August to hopefully help with some narrowing of his LPA (Left Pulmonary Artery). He is brave and preparing for the procedure as we’ve explained that it’s coming up soon. He is a cheerleader for other heart kids in the hospital that we follow and share with him about. He has such an empathetic and loving spirit. Just an absolutely special and amazing kid.
Lincoln was born with a severe heart deformity that has required numerous surgeries including one completed last summer. His family moved to Tennessee due to oxygen issues from living at high altitudes, but still return to Children's Hospital here in Colorado for the world-class care he receives here. Lincoln turned five this Spring and is doing well. He is starting Pre-K in the fall full time and we know that’s going to be a big adjustment but, he is definitely ready for it. He loves his classmates and teachers and is excited for school to start again. He has a heart catheterization scheduled in Denver in August to hopefully help with some narrowing of his LPA (Left Pulmonary Artery). He is brave and preparing for the procedure as we’ve explained that it’s coming up soon. He is a cheerleader for other heart kids in the hospital that we follow and share with him about. He has such an empathetic and loving spirit. Just an absolutely special and amazing kid.
I have dubbed this amazing trio "L cubed".
The fourth child is Nolan my next door neighbor who was born with a tethered spine and requires numerous therapies to accomodate his condition. He is very active and is able to play and romp about the neighborhood thanks to life changing surgeries and therapies provided by Children's Hospital of Colorado. I often see him playing on the trampoline in his backyard and he always calls out "Hi Mr. Bill" whenever we see each other. He is interested in karate, but his dad says he wants him to try soccer first to get introduced to a team sport.
These two girls and two boys are my inspiration for completing the 71.9 mile long course including over 9,000 feet of climbing and descending this year.
The Courage Classic is not only a personal challenge, but also an opportunity to support positive outcomes and healthier futures for children.
Below is a brief bio of Lincoln, my 6 year old friend who was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome(HLHS) written by his dad:
Lincoln was born at 38 weeks on a Monday morning. He was quickly stabilized and transferred to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital and at 1 day old had his first heart catheter procedure, at one week old he had his first open heart surgery. Lincoln’s recovery following the first surgery was fraught with many complications and scary moments as he fought every day to heal and stay with us. From an emergency bedside procedure 3 days after surgery and at 5 weeks a 2 day stent on ECMO he had a very difficult road. He was finally released at a little over 2 months old and we were able to take him to our temporary residence at the Aurora Ronald McDonald House. He did well for a month outpatient despite a leaky tricuspid valve that required the next surgery to happen when he was just a little over 3 months old.
The next open heart surgery was yet another battle for our little heart warrior. He experienced one problem after another and the ups and downs were even more trying than the first surgery. We were not sure if we were ever going to get to bring him home. After another surgery and 6 weeks of intubation and repeated emergencies, we were able to move to the step down unit where we discovered that due to the trauma of intubation, Lincoln would no longer take a bottle. When we were finally discharged almost 3 months later, it was to try to continue to wean off of his pain medications and attempt to drink from a bottle. After two weeks, we saw that the best move forward was to place a feeding tube in his stomach so that he could be fed and we could eventually go home to New Mexico. So, he was back in surgery, but unlike the other times, he did well and was released the following day. 2 weeks later we were able to finally take our little boy home!
In New Mexico, we were at a higher elevation than Denver and we soon noticed that Lincoln was struggling and requiring oxygen that he hadn’t needed when we left Denver. Isolated from the great medical care we were used to and after being turned away from several hospitals during a feeding tube issue, we soon realized that where we lived was actually unsafe for our boy with such a special heart. We began to look for a better option and 6 months later we relocated to Knoxville Tennessee where we were at a lower elevation and close to great medical care. We have been here in Knoxville for 3 plus years and Lincoln has done extremely well.
In August 2021 we traveled to Denver to make plans for his next surgery and to have a heart cath procedure and a stent placed. We knew that returning to Denver was the best move for Lincoln and for our family as a whole. The community there is such a blessing to special needs families and the healthcare is the best of the best.
In June of 2022 we returned to Denver for Lincoln’s third staged reconstructive surgery. The surgery went well and despite a few hiccups (i.e. an additional chest tube placement, some irritation from intubation and some breathing concerns) he did wonderfully and within a week were seeing our first smiles from him. His left vocal chord was unfortunately paralyzed during the surgery, so he is a little more raspy than he was in the past but he is feeling good and recovering as expected. We were discharged at just 8 days post surgery (which is typical for this surgery) and within another week we were released to return home. It was quite a journey back with one small overnight stay at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City due to an infection in his sternal incision. He reacted well to the antibiotics and three days later we were back to our home in Tennessee.
Lincoln was able to get off of oxygen within a week of our return and he has been on the move ever since! He has a new heightened energy due to improved oxygen saturation levels from this surgery. He is doing so wonderful and is more active and animated than we ever imagined possible. We hope that his voice will improve with time and we will be following up with all of our specialists here at home. Lincoln is such a fighter and brave beyond his years. When all the medications and formula and care get overwhelming, it is easy to look at those bright blue eyes and that smile and just be encouraged by what an amazing gift we have with us each day.
His journey will never be an easy one and there is no cure to fix his broken heart, but he smiles and he laughs and now he runs around doing both. We feel blessed beyond compare.