Hello everyone please forgive my writing skills because I have none.
Over the Holidays I told a story to some of my brothers about the events of my first Miracle Ride and in particular an event that happened afterward. You see I hadn’t been a person that anyone would call on for help, well except for my ole buddy Don. Anyway back in 2014 before the Miracle Ride had kicked off I mentioned to Gary McDowell that if there was a spot for another rider I’d love to go. Seemed like the next day Scott was calling me; what a life changing event happened then. The Ride was pretty much what everyone tells you, Hot, Cold, Wet, Long, but what you don’t hear being told is the aches and pains of the first week or so. Yes! We all have them, but looking back it’s nothing in comparison to what it’s being done for! Sorry! Let me get back on track here, as many of you know in 2014 we were working to reach a goal for the Children’s Miracle Network at our hospital here in Columbus, Ga. and The PEOPLE of COLUMBUS and SUROUNDING AREAS did an amazing job in support, but it wasn’t until after that ride when I realized what I had gotten myself into.
Even though you raise money to go to the support of your community hospital not all circumstances can be covered. Well I know I’m stretching it out a bit but as an organization grows they put in place rules that must be followed and my story begins here. The Riders were just getting settled at home back to the grind, the hustle and bustle when the help call comes. (Remember the guy that doesn’t get help calls?) A nurse at the hospital had a patient that touched her in such a way that she wanted to share with the Miracle Riders and ask for help.. The patient was a young man 18, from a semi broken home who had been diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. In the time that he had been in the hospital he and the nurse shared stories. But one moved her so much she reached out to The Riders for help. With everything this young man had going on, he shared that if only he had an Ipad he could stay in touch with his friends while going through treatment and spending so much time in the hospital. The nurse loaned her I pad to the young man. Now back to rules, there’s no way that this young man was going to get an “I”anything during this time of need, Ipads don’t cure cancer but in this case there was a heart that needed his friends. I believe the nurse saw the young man looking for a lifeline to help him through. A call to The Miracle Riders was made and within hours they had the money for the IPad and all the stuff that goes with it. Once telling the Miracle Riders about the young man we had to meet him. The day we met the young man we were all dressed in hats and dusters walking into his hospital room to surprise him with a new Ipad but got a surprise of our own. The young man was being released, there was nothing more the hospital could do. He and his girlfriend were so excited to see us but it was us that were even more excited that we didn’t miss meeting him. The young man left the hospital to return to his loving grandmother. The Miracle Riders visited several weeks later as the young man went four wheeling in heaven. I tell this story because of the impact my Miracle Rider Family has had on me. This group of brothers touches me to the core.
(Heath died about 6 months after receiving his IPad. His grandmother said he was never without it until the day he passed away. The Miracle Riders attended his funeral.)