Team SuperDrake
We ride to give back, give hope and support advancements in research and cures for all those faced with a cancer diagnosis.
Drake was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)at 6 weeks old. Today, after many rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant (BMT) at Children’s Hospital Colorado, the hilarious, big-hearted, fun loving three year old is running with his big brother's and living life to the fullest. Drake will start preschool this fall, an unbelievable milestone for us.
The Courage Classic is an opportunity to support positive outcomes and healthier futures for kids like Drake.
We are so grateful to have Drake with us today and we want to continue to support advancements in research, patient care, and a cure for all. We ride in gratitude, we ride to heal from trauma, and we ride in support of the families who have lost loved ones and in loving memory of those who have passed..
We are a partner team with the Wheels of Justice team so all funds donated will specifically go to the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders Department at Children's Hospital.
Wheels of Justice 2024- In memory of Will Maniatis
"Will was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) on December 18, 2018 after experiencing a handful of weeks of “just not feeling right”. He had just turned 14 and, prior to diagnosis, was a very healthy, vital and strong kid and no history of cancer in our family.
The sub-type of Will’s leukemia put him immediately into the “high-risk” category (he also had central nervous system involvement which caused damage to his pituitary and an additional diagnosis of diabetes insipidus). The first two highly-aggressive rounds of chemotherapy had very little impact on his disease burden so we began the process of searching for clinical trials.
We learned Will would need a bone marrow transplant (BMT) to save his life and, fortunately, both big brothers were perfect matches. In the meantime, Will participated in a clinical trial that did have a considerable impact on the percentage of leukemic blasts in his bone marrow so he elected to repeat the same treatment regimen in hopes of achieving enough “remission” to move forward with a transplant.
It was a “Hail Mary” but, miraculously, the results of his bone marrow biopsy revealed he could proceed! The timeline for transplant was very aggressive but we knew it was his only hope for further treatment and big brother Stathi was waiting in the wings ready to donate his healthy marrow the very moment it was needed. We very much felt if Will could get through BMT then perhaps he could defy the odds and come through his diagnosis victorious.
Will was an absolute warrior throughout and walked out of Children’s Hospital Colorado on May 28, 2019 after being inpatient for almost 6 months. He began the arduous task of recovery from transplant and we started to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Unfortunately, just before Will was to hit his +100 day milestone of transplant we learned he had relapsed with active disease.
Will chose to hit the pause button before making any big decisions for next steps and was able to start his freshman year of high school and set his sights on some milestones of his own. He wanted time to be a “normal” kid, go to school and football games and attend homecoming. He was able to do that and more and we all thrived as we followed our son’s lead by living in the moment; he gifted us the space to rest, recover and exhale before starting the fight once again.
Will started salvage chemo for relapsed AML in hopes of bridging the gap until he became eligible for emerging CAR-T trials for AML that were not yet enrolling pediatric patients. He responded beautifully to the first round however in the midst of the second his AML made a fierce comeback. In cases like Will’s turning to additional and aggressive chemo options pose much risk for life-threatening complications with little effect on disease burden and he literally ran out of viable options.
Will chose to live out the rest of his days at home, the place he loved best surrounded by those he treasured most, his family and friends. Two months later and exactly 14 months after he was diagnosed Will laid down his sword and ended his fight against AML. Forever 15 and Forever loved."
As Drake's mom riding in memory of Will means so much to me. The foundation created in memory of Will, WillStrong Foundation, is dedicated to providing financial support for research to bring more precise and effective treatments to children and young adults diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other high-risk leukemia. Learn more about this incredible foundation and the incredible family behind it. https://willstrongcancerfoundation.org/
Thank you for your support of our family 2024 Courage Classic ride!
