Hello Family and Friends!
On September 9th I will embark on a 14,115′ hike to the top of Pikes Peak to raise funds for the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado. This journey will not be easy 13 miles up 7,400 vertical feet but the benefits will out weigh the difficulty of the hike. The funds raised will ensure that people with brain injuries thrive within the community and help create environments that decreases head injuries. Donations are accepted in any form from thoughts, well wishes, financially or just becoming more educated with head injuries.
The Pikes Peak Challenge is quite an undertaking considering the altitude and possible weather conditions we might encounter, but it pales in comparison to what survivors of Brain Injury face every day. In the United States a Brain Injury occurs every 23 seconds. Based on national estimates, there are more annual incidences of Brain Injuries than Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injuries, HIV/AIDS and Brest Cancer put together. We now know that over 20% of our American Soldiers are returning home from combat tours with Brain Injuries and some have sustained several. The NFL has put Traumatic Brain Injury in the news as they try to understand the immediate and long-term impact of repeated hits to the head. The more we learn about head injuries the more we find that there needs to be more research and education on the subject.
When the sun rises, bags are packed and shoes laced I will be gathering alongside three of the most amazing people in my life. The Sherminator who has summited Pikes Peak more than anyone I know and has taught me what it takes to be an amazing father. TNT and B-Bob two fellow beginners of the Pike’s Peak Challenge who both continue to tackle their dreams. Our team captain Mamarita who has always been our biggest supporter in this journey we call life. We will all hike to honor my older brother Jesse who passed away in 2009. Jesse’s death was diagnosed as a suicide, which leaves my family with several unanswerable questions and constant struggle to figure out the “why?” Objectively we know that Jesse sustained several head injuries while playing baseball, he lost consciousness during two of those injuries, upon regaining consciousness he immediately returned to the playing field. Our current knowledgebase dictates that with any head injury a player should be evaluated thoroughly and not return to the field of play. Unfortunately, this was not common knowledge when my brother was playing. The Brain Injury Alliance has helped push for better understanding of head injuries and is a large reason why there has been advancements in helmet safety, support groups, case management and community awareness over the past several years. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will never fully understand the reasons why behind my brothers death, but I choose to reflect and seek out ways to make this experience helpful to the lives of others.
If you would like to support me in this endeavor to make a difference, there are two ways to donate; please visit https://www.pikespeakchallenge.com/team/team-jesse/
Clicking ‘Make a Donation to this Team’. This is a special event of the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado and you will be able to print a tax-deductible receipt for your donation. Some of you can use your company’s matching gifts program to increase your donation. The second way is to mail a check and send it to the address I have listed below. Make the check payble to BIAC and mail to:
Sherm Terry
1840 Starstone Court
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
Every dollar makes a difference and I appreciate any help you can give. Thank you for your support.
-Matthew L. Taylor
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Anonymous
$40.00 -
Garcia Anissa
$20.00 -
Jessie Muller
$25.00 -
Joe K
$20.00 -
Dawn Whaley
$30.00 -
Tom Wolkow
$25.00 -
Anonymous
$40.00