Bike for Courage
Pia Levine
Kids of Courage. Kids of Courage is a non-profit, volunteer based
organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of children and
young adults with serious illnesses. They focus on making the
seemingly-impossible possible, allowing their participants to ignore
the everyday tubes, pumps, and machines, and experience life at its
fullest.
Growing up, I was what you would call “normal,” doing things like
going to school, eating pizza, hanging with friends, going to parties,
hiking, snowboarding, road-tripping, things any normal kid would do,
or take for granted. In 2007, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease,
an autoimmune disease of the gastrointestinal tract. I was told that
my body couldn’t digest food like everyone else’s, and that it
attacked healthy things as if they were deadly bacteria. I was unable
to do the things I was used to. Going to school became a challenge
since I was often sick, eating a pizza was off limits now that my
stomach couldn’t digest it, and all sporting activities I enjoyed were
out of the question since they made we weak and caused me to
dehydrate.
Pretending I was fine, I ventured off to Israel for a year in
seminary. However, I lasted not even a month, and contracted a severe
respiratory infection that caused my intestines to swell together. I
tried to stick it out but to no avail. Two months later, I was on a
plane home.
When I returned home, I was hospitalized almost immediately. Newly
diagnosed with Colitis, my doctor had to keep me under close scrutiny
to try and get my body back on track. When I was told I could not
return to Israel as I had hoped, a good friend of mine introduced me
to Kids of Courage. They accepted me with open arms, inviting me on
Shabbattons, Sunday fun days, fashion shows and their ten-day,
summer-camp trip to Los Angeles. I was finally living again. I stopped
allowing my disease to get to best of me. Kids of Courage taught me
not to be ashamed that I was too sick to be with my friends in Israel.
They even made it seem cool - I mean how many “healthy” kids get to go
on Lamborghini rides? They made me confident enough to spend a whole
day in Manhattan brandishing my disease on my shirt in support of
“Disease Pride Day.”
Last year when I was asked if I wanted to participate in the “Bike for
Courage” event, I was skeptical of my abilities to ride 42 miles
through New York City. After being hospitalized half-a-dozen times
since January I doubted my strengths. When I discussed my worries with
the head staff of KidsOC, Jeanne Franco and Elisheva Heyman, they said
they would work with me to find a way so I would be able to
participate. On May 2, 2010, I rode a tandem bike with Jeanne Franco,
and let me just say, it was AWESOME!
This year, I am, thank G-d, the healthiest I’ve been since before I
was diagnosed. I was well enough to return to Israel, and have spent
the last seven months traveling and learning. I no longer have the
ongoing fear of randomly dehydrating because my body decides to shut
down, or that I will be in such terrible pain that I won’t be able to
stand. I give all the credit to Kids of Courage who helped me “conquer
my illness through adventure” -their motto. Without them, I don’t know
if I would have ever believed I could get better.
This year I am proud to say I will once again be riding in KidsOC’s
Bike for Courage as we travel 42 miles through Manhattan. Help me show
my support for them like they showed their support for me.
Sincerely,
Pia
Please donate to Kids of Courage and help them help Children and
Teenagers like me:
http://raceforcourage.org/race/136-pia-levine/profile
To understand a little more about Crohn’s Disease please watch my
tribute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJbIA6oSDHk
please forward this around, spread the word :)
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YJJOMMS :)