By now most of you know my story. I rode for Tour de Simcha in 2017 for the first time, as part of Team Eitan. It was an amazing adventure and I knew I'd continue to ride and raise money for Chai Lifeline in the future. Little did I know at the time that Chai Lifeline would very soon play an integral support role in our lives. Juliette's Hebrew name is Yehudis Mazal. We knew shortly before she was born that she would face challenges in her life and decided she could use some mazal to carry her through. Currently Juliette is a beautiful 5 year old. While her health is mostly stable, she currently faces a number of medical challenges along with her physical and developmental disabilities. This is where Chai Lifeline has stepped in to help us time and time again. In December 2021, Juliette experienced a massive prolonged seizure and was rushed to the hospital, where we spent the rest of the week in the PICU waiting for her to return to baseline. Chai Lifeline provided enough home cooked dinners for our family to last the week in the hospital and Juliette's recovery week at home. It was a terrifying time but I knew I could rely on them. It made such a tremendous difference. In March 2022 we got to experience Chai Lifeline's "Chai House," which is intended for families who need a place to stay over Shabbos near the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. After nearly a year of back and forth with insurance and a long waiting list, Juliette finally was given an appointment with a specialist at CHOP. The appointment was scheduled for a late Friday morning, but once we got on the highway to head home, it was clear we would not make it back home before candle lighting. We were able to get all our Shabbos food, snacks, and reading material from the Chai Lifeline room at CHOP, and then headed over to the Chai House. Once again, Chai Lifeline to the rescue. I know Chai Lifeline will be there for Juliette's medical needs through the rest of her childhood. They will continue to advocate with doctors to help us get appointments, they will continue to support us through emergencies, and they will continue to function as one of our "backup plans" when we need them. Juliette's seizure disorder, kidney disease, and vision issues aren't going away, so she is a Chai Lifeline kid. A little more about Tour de Simcha: It is a 65-mile cycling event benefiting the children and families of Chai Lifeline. Every mile I ride and every dollar I raise will help support more than two-dozen essential programs for more than 5,900 children and families confronting pediatric illness, crisis, and loss. These critical services include counseling and case management, meals delivered to hospitals and homes, transportation to medical appointments, emergency financial assistance, insurance advocacy, i-Shine afterschool programming, Big Brothers/Sisters, trauma and crisis intervention, and Camp Simcha, Camp Simcha Special, and Camp Simcha Without Borders, Chai Lifeline’s flagship summer programs for children with life-threatening and lifelong illnesses. My objective is to raise $5,000, and I hope you will help me reach this goal. All donations are 100% tax-deductible. Thank you for your support! Rachelle/Ruchy