A.L.L. TKD helps Noah pay it forward

Written by Melissa Devolve
"I am truly sorry, ma'am. There is nothing more we can do for your son..." To this day, just thinking about those words makes me shudder.

My first child, Noah, was born on October, 30, 2000 with a serious heart defect that had not been detected before birth. He was transported to Denver Children's Hospital where he had open-heart surgery and was given a 10-20% chance of survival. We were warned of problems to expect - brain damage from lack of oxygen, infection, breathing problems, and more. Despite the odds, Noah recovered in time to celebrate his first Christmas at home and since then, he has never stopped fighting - literally. In fact, Noah, now 9 years old, plans to test for his 1st Degree Black Belt at The Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo (A.L.L. TKD) this October, 2009.

When we saw how much a part of Noah's life taekwondo had become, the rest of the family decided to join him at kicking our way toward our Black Belts. Noah is the first to admit that he's having a lot more fun now that martial arts has become a "family affair" (although that might have something to do with the fact that he occasionally gets to spar his little brother...).

This summer, my father and I are riding in the Denver Children's Hospital Courage Classic, an annual bicycling event held in Summit County to raise money for the hospital which gave so much to Noah. We plan to cover over 200 miles in three days over some of Colorado's most challenging passes. Riding in the Classic is one small way our family can give back to the hospital that saved my son's life. My goal is to raise at least $1,500 this year in donations.

I recently put up some photos of our quest to raise these funds at our taekwondo school, and when I did, Master Barb Kunkel, Olympian and owner of A.L.L. TKD, generously offered to give a FREE MONTH of taekwondo and leadership training to anyone who visits her school to donate! Her willingness to help is just one of the many reasons we love being a part of this school.

So, for all Colorado Springs residents that have been itchin' to get kickin' in martial arts and want to help Noah Pay it Forward, simply call or stop by one of the A.L.L. TKD locations. Thank you!

Learn More:
To make a donation and
obtain a FREE MONTH Membership
Call: #719-260-4700
email: familytaekwondo@aol.com
Or visit The Academy of Life and Leadership (A.L.L. TKD)
1915 Jamboree Drive #115
1795 Jet Stream Drive, Suite #103


http://www.alltkd.com/
http://family-taekwondo.com/