Last year was very special to me. On my 10th climb, along with Kari’s
crazy-beautiful friends who come out every year - Kari’s family came out. Her sister and cousin climbed with us - her
mom and god-mom waited at the top. Last
year - my 17th climb - Kari’s niece & nephew, Eva
Kari & Garrett and their parents Alyssa & Charlie were in the
stairwells with us. Kari’s mom was there
too. And we were splashed in Kari’s
favorite colors - rainbow tie-dye. We
were loud and proud! That’s Eva Kari in
the picture on the right.
Kari never met Eva & Garrett - she would adore
them. They are fun, amazing, good young
human beings... And can you imagine how
I felt having them included in all the amazing people who surround me in that
stairwell? I’ve been breathing with
Kari’s beautiful lungs for nearly 20 years - the first 39 years of my life I
struggled, and I never-ever imagined breathing could feel this amazing. I never imagined life could be this
easy. And 12 years after receiving
Kari’s gift, Kari’s beautiful friend, Alex, gave me one of her kidneys when
mine failed and I thought this all might be ending. So far, Alex has given me another 8 years
with Kari’s lungs.
I think about their daughter/sister/aunt/friend
throughout the day, every day. I wish
Kari were here climbing with us - even though that might not be the best for
me. What I know of her is amazing. That
her friends have joined me for 14 years serves to confirm that she was
amazing. That one of her friends would
give me her kidney when I was in trouble reminds me how special organ donors,
alive or alive in spirit, truly are. I
hope that Kari would be proud of the legacy she’s left - I think she would.
2020 will be my 18th climb – And it
will be the 17th time our Kari’s Klimbers have taken the stairs 94
floors, 1,632 steps to the top of the (former) John Hancock Center for the
Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago. “John Hancock Center” has undergone a name
change - therefore our climb is shortening to “Hustle Chicago”! I’m certain the shorter name will make the
climb feel shorter! (Laura will confirm
I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed...)
This
climb really means an awful lot to me and I wouldn't miss it for the
world. This will be the 18th time I strut my fanny up the
steps at the Hancock and this is my team's 17th climb.
Kari was #13 on her high school volleyball team – And as they have for about 14
years now – her crazy, lovable teammates, #15, #12, #8, #7, #4 & #2 will be
in the stairwells with me – along with several other people Kari grew up with –
and 80+ people on my team. And, the kidney #7 gave me is working as
awesomely as the lungs #13 gave me. And
last year when Kari’s beautiful niece came out of the stairwells, and found she
climbed 94 floors in 21 minutes, she said, “Next year I’m breaking 15 minutes!” I’m looking forward to Eva and Garrett
flying.
Can you
imagine what it feels like to live with crappy lungs for 39 years – then
receive a gift of new lungs from a beautiful Iowa girl and her family.
And then to meet that family, and connect with friends and teammates who loved
Kari… And have them come out year after year to celebrate Kari with
you. And then, when you find yourself in trouble again, Kari’s friend
Alex throws you a rope – gives you a kidney – and
allows you to climb for many more years! They’re good people, and they
help me understand who Kari would have become. And, I get to tell people
that I’m slowly being rebuilt into a girl from Iowa…
I do this
climb to tell people about Kari – and tell people about her goodness and the
goodness of her family and friends – and I tell people about Alex and the
importance of organ donation. And we also do this for people with
crappy lungs, like I had. RHAMC helps
people breathe easier – they fund research in lung disease – they help people
stop smoking – they help people with lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic
fibrosis, COPD, asthma and other respiratory diseases live longer, easier
lives. One of RHAMC’s mottos has been, “If you can’t breathe, nothing
else matters…” I lived through that motto, and I know too many people
living it now. The RHAMC and all these crazy people who climb with me,
and you, help people breathe. We have a very special mission.
Our cause
touched Laura and me another way 4 years ago... My beautiful mom-in-law
was diagnosed with lung cancer in fall of 2015. Much to my Laura's
dismay, moms and I were partners in mischief and finding the wrong foods to
eat, particularly doughnuts. When she was diagnosed with lung cancer, mom
and I had some long chats about options, and the strength it takes to fight,
and sometimes takes not to fight. She chose to fight. Ironically -
the chemo had dramatically shrunk her tumors - it worked. But it was too
toxic for the rest of mom and she didn't survive. We do this to fund
research so maybe next time - someone else's mom-in-law has a better chance of
hanging around and sneaking doughnuts with them.
If you
have a few bucks burning a hole in your pocket, I or anyone on my team would be
honored to receive a pledge... But more than anything, I'd love it if you
would check out my little website and read about the beautiful girl whose lungs
I breathe with, as well as the beautiful girl who gave me her kidney - and the
people who surrounded them, and surround me now – people who have allowed me to
leap tall buildings...
To see my
Hustle page or pledge me: Click Here
To see my
website about Kari, go to www.ClimbingForKari.org
To find
someone on my full Kari’s Klimbers team: Click Here
Being
surrounded by people who knew and loved Kari, and by people who know and love
me, is something that defies description… And the support I've received from
people like you has allowed me to tell so many people about Kari… In the
past 18 years, our team has raised over $400,000.00 - because of people like
you… Thank you. I get to do a fair amount of public speaking and,
often enough, when I walk into a room, more than one person pulls me aside and
says, "You're the one who climbs a hundred stories with your new lungs,
and with your donor's friends!!!" And, often enough, they already
know Kari's beautiful smile… I am that guy, and I'm proud of that - and
more than anything, I want them to know her smile. I will have had her
beautiful lungs for almost 20 years when I climb - and her friend's beautiful
kidney for 8 years in May - and they have and will allow me to do more than I'd
ever dreamed possible…
And
finally, and very important to me - please consider organ & tissue
donation, register to be a donor on your state's donor registry, and tell your
family how you feel. I know a beautiful girl from Iowa who knew how she felt,
and she told her family - I think about her every single day.
Love, Steve
Steve
Ferkau
Chicago,
IL
Kari's
Klimbers
