LuLu horseback riding LaLa with bicycles
Lincoln smiling Nolan with his little sister
I am back to riding the Courage Classic this year and plan to ride the long 79 mile route on July 20th that includes over 6,500 ft of climbing and descending over three mountain passes.
I personally know four children who have been or are being treated at Children's Hospital. La La was born with cancer but is now cancer free, and is considered cured and only requires an annual physical to monitor her condition. She's now 10 years old, going into 5th grade and loves music of all kinds. She is taking drum lessons, loves bicycling, the outdoors and participates in the Swim Force program. 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 the cancer treatment she received at 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 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 4th grade and enjoys writing stories, music and making videos.
Lincoln was born with a severe heart deformity, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), 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 returns to Children's Hospital here in Colorado for the world-class care he receives here. Lincoln turned six this Spring.
Lincoln is doing well. Following his last open heart surgery in 2022, he had a heart catheterization in August of last year and a multidisciplinary appointment with the single ventricle clinic at the The Heart Institute at Colorado Children’s. He has check ups every 6 months with his local cardiologist and his medical team in Tennessee have been encouraged by his status. He had a big milestone this Spring and had his stomach tube removed, he has had it since he was 6 months old so that has been so exciting for him! He is going into Kindergarten this Fall and he is thrilled. He also lost his first two teeth and he is very empowered by this tooth fairy business! Lincoln is such a kind and sweet boy, with a healthy dose of the mischievous and comical as well. He fills our hearts with so much joy and our home with so much laughter. He is doing well and despite his medical fragility, he really is as normal a little boy as the next in all the ways that matter.
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.
I have dubbed this amazing trio "L cubed".
The fourth child is Nolan my next door neighbor who was born with tethered cord syndrome and occult spina bifida which requires numerous therapies to accommodate his condition. He is a very active 6 year old 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 playing soccer this summer and wants to try lacrosse as well. He will be starting first grade in the fall and his favorite activity is reading!
These two girls and two boys are my inspiration for completing the 79 mile long course including over 6,500 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.
