16 August 1981 was the first of three happiest days of my life, which were the days our three children were born. This date was the birthdate of our Meaghan, firstborn, beautiful, vibrant. I could have never imagined that 42 years later, at the age of 70, I would be participating in a triathlon to raise money to combat the disease that would take her life. On the 12th of August, 2023, I will be participating in the Columbia River Triathlon to raise awareness about and raise funds to support patients struggling to breathe with pulmonary hypertension. I dread climbing into that cold river, to swim alongside ocean-going freighters, followed immediately by a 12-mile sprint on a bike, then a 3-mile run/sprint. I will, however, make it to the finish line for our patients, even if I have to crawl.

Meaghan was a delightfully happy, healthy little girl with a huge talent for gymnastics who set at a young age, a perfect role model for her little sister, Jessica, and brother, Andrew. Life for us, a young military family serving in Europe, could not have been better. Until the day she came home out of the blue, out of breath, exclaiming, “Mommy, Daddy, I can’t breathe”! Two trips to doctors on two different continents resulted in the following words at Walter Reed Medical Center: “Colonel Hicks, I regret to inform you that your daughter has a terminal disease that is called primary pulmonary hypertension. She has less than a year to live.” Meaghan was only twelve years-old.

That Army doctor had no idea how determined and tough she was and she went on to graduate from high school and the University of Washington. It was not easy for her, but she didn’t quit. However, she weakened finally as her struggle to simply breathe, something the rest of us all take for granted, took its toll. Eventually she required a heart-lung transplant which she bravely endured to survive. She survived only briefly, and we were with her at the moment she left on the worst day of our lives on January 30th, 2009. See www.meaghanhicks.com

“In all the darkness light is found” as songwriter and former PH patient, Chloe Temtchine sings in “Be Brave”. In this case an amazing organization has emerged that truly exists only to support patients of pulmonary hypertension and their family/caregivers. Team Phenomenal Hope started in 2012 when Dr. Patty George raised a team of fearless women to compete in the grueling “Race Across America” to raise awareness and funds to combat pulmonary hypertension. In 7 days they rode non-stop on bicycles 2,670 miles from Laguna Beach to Annapolis, MD. Evolving into one of the finest, most-efficient patient advocacy organizations in the world in this struggle, their awareness, research and patient programs are truly world class.

Two of my favorite programs are the “Patient Unmet Needs Program” and the “Let ME Be Your Lungs Program”. In this race I am seeking your support for both. Pulmonary hypertension is an expensive disease. With medicine co-pays reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars, (sometimes monthly), patients and families have little left over for food, wheelchairs, car repairs and trips to see their physicians. Team Phenomenal Hope’s “Patient Unmet Needs Program” is the only fund in the world that channels funds in the form of micro-grants directly to patients and their families to meet these non-medicinal needs. These are NOT required to be paid back. Please, please donate to my race to support this amazing and unique program in memory of my Meaghan.

This year I am honored to be racing for and with one of the sweetest, most remarkable young PH patients I have met in this long struggle,  have asked her to “Let ME be HER Lungs” on 12 August at the Columbia River Triathlon. Zoe Henry is pictured above. 

Zoe was born with a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia in 2008.  She was given a 25% chance of survival.  After almost 3 months in the hospital, including  2 weeks on ECMO (a heart/lung bypass machine), multiple ventilators, more meds and tubes than you can count, endless conversations with doctors and nurses and lots of love and prayers,  Zoe came home.  She was on oxygen 24/7, a feeding tube, meds that were given 7 times a day.  With love, therapy, dedication, tears and lots of hugs and smiles over the next three years she slowly started hitting some major milestones.  She started eating orally when she was almost 2 and started walking at 2.5.  She has lived with Pulmonary Hypertension her whole life, but never lets it slow her down.  She is now headed to 8th grade, and continues to make all those that meet her fall in love with her and always brings a smile to everyone's face.  She is the toughest 14 year-old around and always faces each day with a smile, a laugh, and a hug.  She loves to bake, craft,  garden, camp, play on the swings, spend time with her cousins, sing and dance.  She loves traveling and her cat, Velvet.  She has no fear of adventure and trying new things and always pushes herself to learn and do more and not set limits.  She does not let Pulmonary Hypertension stop her from living her very best life. But, she struggles for every breath because of it.

I will be thinking of Zoe and my sweet Meaghan as I struggle in that river to breathe and raise funds for Team PHenomenal Hope.

Finally, thank you all for supporting me. I, like my Meaghan, have (had) no choice but to never quit in the fight against pulmonary hypertension. She never quit, and neither shall Zoe or I. 

Please support Zoe, and me in our fight against PH today with your donation. Please do not forget there are many Meaghans, and Zoes still out there, at this very moment struggling to breathe. They need us!

Please help me help them. Please….

Carl
Father of PH Victim
& PH Warrior
RLTW!

P.S. Much love and happy breaths to the PH patients whom I have had the honor to “be their lungs” in past races: Brookie, Georgia, Michelle, Charlotte and Cheryl and Shaye.