The following comes from Elan…
On September 13th, I’m riding in the Save-A-Limb-Bike-Ride. I am hoping that you can help me reach my fundraising goal of $1,000.00!
The Save-A-Limb-Bike-Ride is 6 miles long. The reason I’m doing this bike ride is because it’s for the Rubin Institute, and that’s the place where I had my 2 surgeries, and that’s the place that’s getting me better!
I’ll be doing the bike ride, along with my mom & dad, to raise money for the Save-A-Limb Fund which is a part of the Rubin Institute in Baltimore, Md.
The money raised from our bike ride will be used for people with no health insurance that need surgery. The institute, part of Sinai Hospital, does limb lengthening and hip surgeries. I had my operations done there because they have the most advanced technology for my hip condition. Now, I want to do something so that another kid can have the same chance as me.
We’ve been riding over the summer to get ready for our bike ride and now I need your help! To sponsor me for my September 13th bike ride and to Support the Save a Limb Fund, please visit my webpage and donate. It’s that simple!
All donations are tax deductible too.
This has been a very rough experience, and we want to do everything we can to give back to the Rubin Institute, so please, please help us. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thanks so much if you can help me! I’ll post pictures of the bike ride to my website and let you all know when they’re up.
Love, Elan
perthes
This marking period we have learned from, rather than taught, Elan
We have learned about courage and tenacity. We have learned about an unquenchable desire to learn and grow under very trying circumstances. We have learned about patience and about living with pain. We have learned about making the best of a difficult situation, about putting on a cheerful face, despite great discomfort. We have learned about sustaining friendships with others, when we have every right to focus only upon ourselves. We have learned that our children are often our best teachers.
We cannot give grades for these lessons; they are profound lessons that go far beyond grades. Soon there will be a time for grades, and we are certain that those grades will be as outstanding in the future as they have been in the past. Soon we will all share in Elan’s pride in his academic achievements. But, no matter how stellar his achievements will be, and they will surely be stellar, they will not compare with the personal bravery of the fourth grader who has inspired us all.
Elan’s fourth grade teacher. More on Elan here.
Elan gets rid of a fixator
Elan’s surgery yesterday went well.
The fixator was removed and replaced by a brace. The brace keeps Elan’s legs abducted or spread apart. Doing this allows the reforming femoral head to grow nicely into the hip socket. Elan will wear the brace full-time for 2 months. Then, only at night. He will continue to use the walker and wheelchair. There is some discomfort from surgery and the brace but, that should improve.