WHY I RIDE:
About 4 years ago, I received a call from Mrs. Kalavakolanu. Her son, Nishanth, was in the hospital and wanted to speak to me.
Nishanth had been a camper at a community camp I led in Austin for 4 years during my college days. The 8-10 year olds were my responsibility. Nishanth was a quick-witted kid who was a joy, sometimes an annoyance, but all around a great kid to hang out with. Not much for swimming, we would spend our times at the pool everyday reading the Hobbit together. Being a local community camp, we saw the same kids daily throughout the summer. A sense of family developed between us all. To my surprise, Nishanth down the road became an Eagle Scout and then a cadet within the Air Force Academy. These were things I could have never imagined he would accomplish.
A few months before his mom called me, Nishanth had contracted a virus that caused repetitive seizures to occur. He was induced into a coma to help regulate. He had been on a hike with friends when something unknown knocked him out. Ultimately, he had been hospitalized for about 3 months until he was finally weaned off his medication enough for him to come back into consciousness. While he was alive, he faced a long road to recovery as he struggled to find his motor skills again. A few weeks after waking, Nishanth had a song stuck in his head. His dad asked what it was, to which Nishanth responded, “Super Smash Brothers Melee.. Mr. Andrew”. It wasn’t long after that he asked his parents to see about talking with me. On that call, he sounded like death as he asked me to visit him. You simply can’t say no to a kid with a request like that.
I flew out the day after Thanksgiving to Denver to see the guy. Having never been in to Denver before, it felt a bit outworldly when flying into an airport covered with snow. Even with being 19 at the time, Nishanth was being treated at Children’s Hospital Colorado due to the fact that the best care team was positioned there. Luckily, Nishanth’s parents arranged a sleep room at the hospital for me (which was the best bed I’ve ever slept in). The first night there I didn’t see Nishanth. I had arrived late and had to wait until morning. It was 11 at night, and I hadn’t eaten, so I went on the prowl for food.
The children’s hospital in Denver is amazing. One of the best in the nation I’ve been told (Top 10 based on what their website said). While the internal was decked out in similar colors to Cook, there was a certain hallway that caught my eye. For the past 30+ years, the hospital has led an annual cycling event, the Courage Classic Bicycle Tour. Over the years it has raised over $56m to help tend to the children of Colorado. In this particular hallway was a row of framed jerseys, showcasing all the success of the past rides and those who took part. All around, it was an amazing sight. As I was walking back to my room (with a good amount of Buffalo wings) I pondered on the idea of someday coming back to ride. The next day I ran into Nishanth’s dad. He asked if I seen the hallway with the jerseys and if I could picture myself one day riding in it. I told him I’d think about it. He looked a bit perturbed, giving me one of his traditional scowls, and said,”No Drew, you’ll be bringing a group to do this one day. I bet you that.” 4 years later here we are.
Nishanth was honorably discharged and retired from the Air Force Academy. This allowed him to continue to have a number of his benefits that he wouldn’t have had otherwise. For about 2 years after that, Nishanth continued with his rehab. I would occasionally travel down to Austin to shamelessly beat him in Super Smash, and we would joke around with each other, much like how we did when he was 10. Since then, he’s enrolled into the University of Texas and aims to graduating soon. He is certainly a man worth knowing by all means.
This Colorado ride is something I have hoped to do for over 4 years. When I was within the hospital all those years ago, I was blown away by the excellence shown by all the staff as they tended to their patients. There’s a great amount of good that institutions like my own Cook Children’s Health Care System and Children’s Colorado can do for those in need. This is a fundraiser ride is dear to me. A key aspect of pediatric care is that the impact provided doesn't simply address a child's current condition, it impacts the direction of their entire life moving forward. This whole endeavor is something worthwhile and hope you can join in with supporting me through this effort. Appreciate you reading all this - Thank you.
