The Courage Classic Bicycle Tour will be held on July 19-20 at Copper Mountain. Hundreds of team members will be participating, including Brandon Nuechterlein, a PA in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. For Brandon, it’s not just a weekend of cycling in the mountains, it’s a chance to give back to the hospital that saved his life as a teen.

When Brandon was 15 and living in Thailand he got very sick. His mom reached out to Children’s Hospital Colorado to help her son. Doctors determined that he had bilineage leukemia, a very rare and aggressive form of cancer. He needed to come to Children’s Colorado immediately for treatment. After a 26-hour flight, Brandon arrived at the hospital where he underwent two years of treatment that included chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, eventually beating the cancer.

Brandon has worked at Children’s Colorado for 16 years, taking care of bone marrow transplant cellular therapeutic patients, he’s participated in the Courage Classic for 15 years.

Q: Why do you ride in the Courage Classic?

A: Our team is an extended family, a community of people brought together by heart breaking loss and exuberant miracles.  It is so inspiring to watch kids I have saved conquer a ride that would be beyond most healthy people. It is incredibly humbling to ride with families who lost their child but still believe in this hospital and its mission and show up every year to support us despite their grief which never dissipates. From a personal health standpoint, it has kept me healthy. Most survivors my age have multiple chronic health conditions from the chemotherapy and radiation treatments we received. I have been able to prevent this by riding my bike 5,000 miles a year training for the Courage Classic. It has changed the life of my entire extended family as well. We all ride every year and will do so until we are too old to balance on a bike.

Q: How do you describe it to those who haven’t experienced it?

A: I tell everyone it will be the hardest thing you ever do, but it will be the most rewarding and that once you have done it– you will be hooked, and you will back every year. It is truly an incredible event, and it recharges me every year to continue fighting to find better and less toxic therapies so that one day we can cure every child who walks through our doors. 

Q: How are you connected to the mission of the hospital?

A: I have been intimately involved with the mission of this hospital for the last 16 years. Without Children’s Colorado there is no doubt in my mind that I would not have survived.  My family and I started participating in the Courage Classic 15 years ago to support the hospital as it was very clear that the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders needs philanthropic funds in order to advance the science of transplant and to better support patients going through transplants. We have now raised over $700,000 and recruited close to a hundred riders and led innumerable training rides to support our team Wheels of Justice.  

Q: What do you think is the importance of philanthropy at Children’s Colorado?

A: Philanthropy is absolutely essential to our mission. Without philanthropic support we will not be able to develop new, less toxic cures. Insurance typically does not reimburse the wellness support that is so vital to our patients and families who are navigating the most stressful experience of their lives.

Q: You are a great fundraiser – do you have any tips for others?

A: Do not be biased on who you think will donate. Email everyone you know multiple times. Never feel guilty about asking for money to cure pediatric cancer. I am always amazed at who donates. I have had people I’ve met once donate hundreds of dollars. I have had people donate from all over the world. This mission transcends all the typical barriers, everyone agrees that no child should die from cancer and will support this ride if given the opportunity.