For Jacob Gump, his son, Eli, is his inspiration to ride in the Courage Classic. Eli was diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma brain tumor at 2 years old. Today, 7-year-old Eli is cancer-free and doing well three years after completing treatment.
“It’s definitely the hardest thing I have ever faced,” said Jacob.
Jacob is a postdoctoral researcher at University of Colorado Denver currently researching how to eliminate cranio brain tumors. He wants to help other people affected by the same tumor his son battled.
“It’s very exciting to be one of the few groups in the world doing this research,” said Jacob.
This summer is Jacob’s fifth Courage Classic ride, but the first for Eli. They are riding together on a tandem bike, along with family and friends on team Crankin4Cranios under Wheels of Justice. The duo has already completed over 38 miles of practice rides together on their new bike.
“We ride to repay Children’s Hospital Colorado, particularly the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, for all they have done to save my son Eli’s life,” said Jacob.
This Father's Day, we hope you are inspired by this amazing dad and kids like Eli who benefit from the Courage Classic. Your fundraising makes a difference for the nearly 200,000 patients we expect to care for this year.