Seven-year-old cancer patient and mom extoll E-470, win contest

BROOMFIELD - For seven-year-old leukemia patient Addison Kleinhans , the road to recovery will be more than three years long and continue to entail many lengthy 41-mile trips from his home in Broomfield to Children’s Hospital in Aurora, including nearly 26 miles each way on E-470. 

Addison, “Boy of the Year” this year for the Rocky Mountain Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in April 2010.  It is a form of blood cancer that is treatable in more than 80 percent of all cases.  Initially, Addison underwent seven months of aggressive treatment, sometimes up to four times a week.  He still faces 24 more months of chemotherapy and many more trips to Children’s Hospital before his projected end of treatment in June 2013. 

A special treat awaited Addison on his most recent hospital trek.  On Monday (August 8), en route home from the hospital on the E-470 tollway from another chemo treatment, his mother took the off-ramp to E-470’s Aurora headquarters so that Addison and his sister Madelene could have their own private tour of official vehicles they have often seen along the tollway – a Colorado State Patrol car, a snowplow and an E-470 Safety Patrol truck. 

The VIP treatment accorded them was the result of Addison and his mom winning a contest, “Why I Love E-470.”  Getting to treatment appointments on time, and without battling congested highways, is why Addison’s mother, Sarah Clarke Kleinhans, says she chooses to drive the E-470 toll road.  When she learned of E-470’s contest, in which customers submit brief videos explaining why they love to drive the tollway, she and Addison decided to submit their own entry, with Addison doing most of the talking.  Addison is no stranger to performing.  He is a professional actor who has twice played the role of Tiny Tim in Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s production of “A Christmas Carol.”  

Their winning entry was rewarded with $150 in EXpressToll credit, a $150 Visa gift card and four tickets to a Colorado Rockies baseball game.

Getting to the hospital and thinking of the procedure ahead is stressful enough without prolonging the drive.  “It’s the fastest way to get to the hospital,” Addison says in the video. “It’s not so annoying for my mom.”  Returning home quickly is often even more important.  “I am relieved to have a calm road so I can pull over if he is sick,” said Sarah in a note accompanying the video.

To view the winning video, visit the following E-470 Facebook page: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/E-470-Public-Highway-Authority/160814...

E-470 is a toll road that runs along the eastern perimeter of the Denver metropolitan area.  The 75-mph highway extends 47 miles from State Highway C-470 at I-25 in Douglas County, ending at I-25 just south of 160th Ave., in Thornton.