There are people in this world that are making a difference a little bit at a time. They are uniting strangers, changing lives and paying it forward. Kaete Nazaroff is one of those individuals who "found" herself at the age of 43 when she decided to help a little boy she didn't even know.
This past March, a friend forwarded Kaete a blog kept by a mother of a boy in Atlanta named Tripp Halstead. Tripp was critically injured on October 29th, 2012 while playing outside at daycare. His skull was shattered by a large heavy falling tree branch and he sustained traumatic brain injury. When Kaete looked at Tripp's picture, she saw her own son George. "What if this was George? What if this happened to us?" Kaete couldn't shake the thoughts.
So Kaete decided that somehow, she was going to help. She shared her vision with her husband and 7 time Ironman, Dave Nazaroff and soon, the Ride to Give fundraiser was born. On June 26th, 2013, David headed out of Nyack, NY on a solo bicycle journey of 900 miles to Atlanta, GA, in the hopes of raising money to help a 2 year-old boy named Tripp that they had never met.
The Ride to Give fundraiser came easily to Kaete, but it was still surprising when she read comments from followers calling her selfless, giving and kind. "If they only knew the REAL me," Kaete would chuckle to herself. After all, Kaete Nazaroff spent most of her life being angry. "Just like so many of us, I blamed my unhappiness on other people and their actions. I focused on what I didn't have, instead of what I DID have. I put on a protective shell that has at times come across as hard, tough, and too intense."
But something changed in Kaete when she created Ride to Give. "The anger lifted, the disappointments faded, and the realization that I had something worthwhile to give to this world (other than my beautiful children) set in. How did that happen? How did one boy and a couple I didn't even know change my life?"
The Ride to Give fundraiser came easily to Kaete, but it was still surprising when she read comments from followers calling her selfless, giving and kind. "If they only knew the REAL me," Kaete would chuckle to herself. After all, Kaete Nazaroff spent most of her life being angry. "Just like so many of us, I blamed my unhappiness on other people and their actions. I focused on what I didn't have, instead of what I DID have. I put on a protective shell that has at times come across as hard, tough, and too intense."
But something changed in Kaete when she created Ride to Give. "The anger lifted, the disappointments faded, and the realization that I had something worthwhile to give to this world (other than my beautiful children) set in. How did that happen? How did one boy and a couple I didn't even know change my life?"
Well.......the REAL Kaete Nazaroff showed up.
Ride to Give raised $180,000 dollars for Tripp Halstead and his family as well as 17,000 dollars for Sunshine On A Rainy Day, the charity that remodeled the Halstead home.
Now with a facebook page of over 35,000 likes, Kaete and David continue to help other families in need with The Cause Of The Week and hope to have a yearly Ride to Give fundraiser.
"This fundraiser has become so much more than helping just the Halstead family. It has become a community of prayer and giving that amazes me every day. It proves that together we can help each other. That we can make a difference in each others lives and that really, no one is a stranger. There will always be tragedy and pain in the world and in our lives. But by uniting, praying, giving what you can, and showing patience and kindness to everyone you meet, we can counterbalance all the bad in the world." Says Kaete.
This week, Ride to Give is helping a little boy named Vivek Shenoy in Nyack, New York.
Now with a facebook page of over 35,000 likes, Kaete and David continue to help other families in need with The Cause Of The Week and hope to have a yearly Ride to Give fundraiser.
"This fundraiser has become so much more than helping just the Halstead family. It has become a community of prayer and giving that amazes me every day. It proves that together we can help each other. That we can make a difference in each others lives and that really, no one is a stranger. There will always be tragedy and pain in the world and in our lives. But by uniting, praying, giving what you can, and showing patience and kindness to everyone you meet, we can counterbalance all the bad in the world." Says Kaete.
This week, Ride to Give is helping a little boy named Vivek Shenoy in Nyack, New York.
Vivek was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis or HLH when he was 11 months old. He has been monitored since birth because the Shenoy family lost their first born son to the disease in 2006. Vivek was treated for HLH until the disease went into remission, however, if it is in the genetic form, it always returns unless the patient receives a bone marrow transplant. Often when the syndrome reappears, it can be more aggressive and difficult to treat, therefore, a bone marrow transplant is the only cure. Because Vivek is half Caucasian and half Indian, there was no fully matched donor to be found. Therefore, his doctors have decided to go with a haploidentical bone marrow (a half match) and his mother, Heather was his donor.
Heather Shenoy tries her best to remember that stressing out about every new detail will not change the outcome. "I can't predict the future, but I can love my family now in the moment."
Heather and Vivek have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House after 7 weeks of complete isolation in the hospital. They recently found out that Kaete chose to share Vivek's story this week on the Ride to Give page as a Cause Of the Week.
"Kaete and Dave are exceptional people whose generosity of spirit has touched so many lives....from the affected families to the thousands of followers who have been inspired to give either financially or through prayers and well wishes."
Heather's hope for being on the Ride to Give page, is to ultimately build awareness of Vivek's disease. Although HLH is considered to be a rare disease, it has recently been thought that it may be under diagnosed. "If even just one child is spared the devastating effects of a late stage diagnosis it will have a profound impact."
Heather and Vivek have been staying at the Ronald McDonald House after 7 weeks of complete isolation in the hospital. They recently found out that Kaete chose to share Vivek's story this week on the Ride to Give page as a Cause Of the Week.
"Kaete and Dave are exceptional people whose generosity of spirit has touched so many lives....from the affected families to the thousands of followers who have been inspired to give either financially or through prayers and well wishes."
Heather's hope for being on the Ride to Give page, is to ultimately build awareness of Vivek's disease. Although HLH is considered to be a rare disease, it has recently been thought that it may be under diagnosed. "If even just one child is spared the devastating effects of a late stage diagnosis it will have a profound impact."
Whether it's a helping hand, a kind smile, a little faith or the change in your pocket..... every bit counts. Be the someone that makes a difference in this world.
"GIVE A LITTLE CHANGE A LOT" - RIDE TO GIVE
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