I came across this story recently of a father riding in honor of his son and to benefit the hospital who saved his boys life!
I thought this was great to go along in the spirit of RAGBRAI last week. Props to Bob Kinder who rode 157 miles through Colorado!! Not to take away from all the riders who participated last week in RAGBRAI, but I'm pretty sure the "hills" in Iowa are far different than the HILLS in Colorado!!
Below I've attached the story found on lonetreevoice.com
By Holly Cook
Staff Writer
Lone Tree resident Bob Kinder will ride in the Courage Classic July 26-28 and he and his team have helped raise $24,765 of their $25,000 goal.
Bob Kinder learned more about organ donation over the past year than he ever imagined he would.
This weekend he’ll ride in his first Courage Classic, donating about $24,000 to The Children’s Hospital for saving his son’s life.
The three-day, 157-mile trek July 26-28 will send Kinder and 2,000 other cyclists through Colorado’s high country — from Leadville to Summit County and back. The event happens annually and all funds benefit The Children’s Hospital in Denver.
Kinder, a Lone Tree resident, estimated he’s raised about $10,000 in personal donations already. His team, Team Lockton Rides for Ty, has raised $24,765 of its $25,000 goal.
“The whole purpose behind it is to give back to an organization that has given me and my family, particularly my son, so much,” he said.
It was last Labor Day when Ty, 16, developed a severe cough, Kinder recalls. He had been spending the holiday with his sisters in Winter Park and thought he had pneumonia.
Two weeks and a few X-rays later, he was admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit at The Children’s Hospital for what turned out to be viral cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle.
“He started going downhill pretty rapidly the first week,” Kinder said. “His heart was so weak, they were concerned he would arrest.”
Although he didn’t arrest, his condition didn’t improve for months.
“He was showing most signs that he wouldn’t improve either,” Kinder said.
That’s when the doctors put Ty on the transplant list. Within two days they found a heart and Ty received his transplant Dec. 1.
“To see him going into the surgery room was tough. I felt extremely helpless. As a parent I kept thinking ‘I hope this isn’t the last time I can talk to my kid,’” he said. “But Ty was smiling. He was ready. The attitude he’s had the whole time is amazing.”
Kinder attributes Ty’s attitude to the staff at Children’s Hospital.
“They recognize you feel helpless and make you feel more secure,” he said. “I think Ty was comfortable and confident he was in good hands.”
During the whole process, Kinder said he went through a huge learning curve about his son’s condition and organ donation.
“It was so unanticipated,” he said. “Everything is coming at you 100 miles a minute.”
The doctors helped Kinder and his family understand the process, transplant rejection issues and the multitude of medicines Ty would have to take.
Since Ty’s a teenager, keeping him on track with his meds is a challenge.
“It has to be like clockwork,” Kinder said.
But Ty today is a normal functioning 17 year old, according to Kinder.
He plays football, he’s an avid snowboarder, and is trying to become a lifeguard.
He even recently participated in an organ donor walk in which he ran the whole way.
“I think maybe he had something to prove,” Kinder said, laughing.
Organ donation is not, however, something Kinder takes lightly.
“I’ve always been a donor. I’ve always felt it was an important thing to be a donor,” he said. “The fact you can give someone an opportunity to live a normal life is a gift.”
More importantly to Kinder, though, is the gift of The Children’s Hospital.
“I cannot stress enough about that organization. The level of care and caring that comes through is so evident to the families coming in and out of there.”
Given his loyalty to the hospital, Kinder and his employer, Lockton, created their Courage Classic team.
“I just want the community to know how much The Children’s Hospital has positively affected my family, and I want to bring awareness to the cause,” he said.
“If folks feel compelled to donate, we would love to see it.”
To donate to Courage Classic or to Kinder’s team, visit www.couragetours.com.
303-566-4121 |[email protected]
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