We arrived at the Cleveland Clinic where we would spend a few hours eating breakfast, touring their facility, having lunch and interacting with their clients. As soon as we got there we were taken into the cafeteria to eat. We had a great breakfast and during it we were shown a couple short videos so we could learn more about the clinic and what they do for people. The facility we were at was an outpatient and rehab center that works with kids. It was very interesting to see all of the different services they were doing for people and I was very excited to check out the facility. The team split up into group and we began our tour around the facility which looked a lot smaller from the outside. Inside they had many different wings, a gym, pool, and a few courtyards that had play areas and gardens in them.
While at the clinic we went into the Dialysis Treatment room and I met a boy who has impacted me more than anyone else on this whole trip. I met Jose, who was going through Dialysis while I was talking to him. Jose is 16 years old and is battling cancer right now. When I walked into his room he told me that he was listening to music and we started to talk about how much he loves musicals and listening to music from them. After that we started to talk about school, and how he is going into 10th grade and his love for English. I told him that I also enjoy English and writing and that everyday at night I sit down and write a blog about my experiences. He then explained to me that he keeps a journal and in it he writes down his thoughts from the day, and the things he faces while dealing with cancer. Jose plans on turning his journal into a book and naming it "The Unexpected Journey." Jose was just an ordinary kid when he found out he had cancer and ever since he has been dealing with more than I could ever image. I made sure to get his autograph because I knew that one day he would be famous from the popularity of the amazing book I know will be flying off the shelves one day. One of the last things Jose said to me before I left was that he couldn't wait to get a kidney and hip replacement and get done with his treatments so he could go back to school. I went to give him a high five and instead of returning the gesture he reached in towards me and gave me a hug. As we were leaving the room it took me a second to gather my emotions and realize what just happened. Meeting amazing individuals like Jose is what this trip is all about and he really taught me a lot today. I have been fortunate enough to have anything I could ever want in this life while some kids are fighting for their life everyday and in the mean time all they want to do is enjoy the things I find myself complaining about. I know I will keep Jose close to me for the remainder of this trip and long after that. Tomorrow when I get on the bike I plan on keeping Jose in my thoughts knowing I can accomplish anything if I keep the amazing mind set he has every single day.
The team had lunch and we performed our puppet show before getting ready to leave the clinic. Right before we left we received our final mail drop and once again I would like to say thank you to everyone who sent me something. This time I got a package from my Mom, Bob and Lynne, a post card from Alexa Aronow, and a package from Special Populations which was a great surprise. We left the amazing facility to go back to lodging. Once we got back I went up to my room, thought about everything that had happened today and then took a nice nap before it was time for dinner. After close to a 2 hour nap I woke up and we got ready to go to dinner which was sponsored by a group of Pi Alphas. We went to the restaurant Melt which is a Cleveland classic. They make countless types of crazy grilled cheese sandwiches and it was absolutely delicious. Melt has a challenged called the Melt Challenge and to complete it you have to finish a grilled cheese with 13 different types of cheese, 3 slices of grilled bread and a pile of hand cut fries and slaw. The meal ends up being over 5 pounds of food and it was enormous. Two of our crew members ended up taking on the challenge and $60 later between the two of them the food was victorious. Neither of them were able to finish it, and everyone left very full.
It was an awesome two days in Cleveland and tomorrow is our last full day in Ohio. This trip is absolutely flying by at this point and if anyone has any suggestions on how to slow things down they would be greatly appreciated. Every day brings something new to the table and today was hands down one of the most unforgettable days by far. The relationship I made with Jose is one that has changed my life and whenever I am feel ungrateful or ignorant I will make sure to think about him and how strong he continues to be through every challenge that is presented in his life.
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