Don and I cooked up a crazy dream. We wanted to have a fundraiser for Cody. So I wrote up a press release (see bottom of page) and sent it to all the media outlets - expecting nothing. To our shock, we got many calls and lots of coverage! Here are our favorite two articles.
"and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1
We are so excited to announce that Don and Cody completed the Seattle Marathon on Nov. 30th (see photos at the bottom of this page.)
Don and Cody have been long time running buddies - and they ran this race as a fundraiser to help us provide the intensive daily therapies Cody needs to help him learn and progress despite the ravages of his daily seizures. Although the race is over, we are keeping the fundraiser link available because Don and Cody will be running in the Seattle Rock N Roll Marathon this summer!
Most of all, we covet your prayers and that is the greatest gift you could give to Cody. We are so grateful for the caring people that are walking shoulder to shoulder through this with us. If you feel led to donate to "Cody's Hope" just click on this Paypal link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=177751
Mr. Miracle!
When Cody was diagnosed with catastrophic "infantile spasms" at 6 months, Doctors told us he'd never walk, he'd never talk, and he'd never attain new skills. In the 3 years since that diagnosis, Cody's proven them all wrong! Although he still battles the ravages of many daily seizures, he has worked so very hard to learn and grow. Through an intensive autism therapy program called A.B.A. (Applied Behavioral Analysis), a therapeutic approach called "Floortime," and intensive therapy with a speech pathologist, Cody's life has changed and he's doing things we never thought possible. He's using sign language and pictures to communicate, he's imitating, making eye contact, and so much more.
Because of Cody's brain abnormalities, daily seizures, and complex developmental issues, it takes more hours of therapy and the most highly skilled providers to break through. We've finally found a "dream team" of therapists who are figuring out how to help Cody reach his full potential - and with their help -Cody is shocking us with what he is capable of. It is so exciting!
But as you can imagine, it is expensive and not covered by insurance. Cody only gets a few hours a week of these precious therapies due to their expense. We desperately want to add more hours, so we chose a marathon as a fundraiser because, well, our life is a marathon! And Don has never run in one so it's a fun new challenge for him. And as grueling as this 26 miles will be for Don to run, it is nothing compared to the daily marathon Cody lives - even in his sleep he has dozens of seizures all night.
We want to provide Cody with the best life possible. We want to know as much of him as we can. We believe these intensive therapies are the key to helping Cody reach his full potential and gain back what his many seizures threaten to take away.
Here is an example of one of Cody's seizures - these seizures make his therapies all the more important because they so dramatically affect his brain.
When we found out we were pregnant with Cody, my competetive sports-loving husband Don dreamed of sharing sports with his son. Tragically that dream seemed to die with Cody's catastrophic diagnosis. But Don found a way to make his dream come true - to connect with his son through sports. You may see them on the road as you drive down the streets of the Seattle's Eastside! And you'll see Cody loving the ride with sunglasses on and a big goofy grin. Cody LOVES to move and the jogger stroller is one of his favorite places to be.
It is in the spirit of "Team Cody" that Don ran the Seattle Marathon - as a salute to his "iron-man son" who is our hero. Don and Cody trained together for the last 2 months.
100% of the donations go to pay for therapy for Cody. Hopefully one day, through God's grace and all of the intensive therapeutic intervention, Cody will be able to walk up to you and say "thank you" himself!
“TEAM CODY”: Father/Child to run in Seattle Marathon!
Can you imagine watching your child have 400 seizures a day? This is the story of a father who endured just that. His deep love and compassion for his son created a partnership like no other!
Don Graves, a rodeo steer wrestler and avid sportsman, dreamed of enjoying sports with his newborn son. Those dreams were crushed when Cody was diagnosed with “infantile spasms” a catastrophic epilepsy resulting in uncontrollable seizures and mental retardation. In addition to many daily seizures, Cody battles severe autism. As his daddy grieved that he’d never toss a football with his son, or coach little league – he was inspired to create a new dream – one that included finding a creative way to connect with his disabled son through sports. So knowing how much Cody loves and needs movement, Don took up running. Soon the two were jogging all over the Eastside together – Cody in his jogger stroller with sunglasses on and a giant grin as the wind blew his hair – finally free from the confines of his disability. Don knew he was on to something. His son has extreme sensory issues and needs constant motion. Cody will probably never be able to run…but jogging with daddy gives him the same sensation. So the faster and longer the runs, the happier Cody is!
And so, “Team Cody” was born. Don and Cody entered a 5K run together and placed among the top finishers! Cody loved it! So now they aspire to even greater heights: The Seattle Marathon on November 30!
The Graves were told Cody would never walk, talk, or gain skills. Despite this grim prognosis, Cody is called “miracle man!” He uses sign language, he’s walking, and he’s proving how very much he is capable of! He’s made these strides thanks to daily intensive autism, speech, and physical therapies that his parents pay for out of pocket. These therapies cost tens of thousands of dollars per year…and Cody desperately needs them. With autism on the rise, and very few insurance companies willing to foot the bill, many families simply can’t give their children the intensive intervention they need.
This father/son duo will use their love of running to raise money for “Cody’s Hope.” Cody’s Hope is a fund created to help with the expensive daily therapies Cody needs to combat the ravages of his many seizures. With intensive therapy, Cody may even one day learn to speak which would be a dream come true for his parents – hearing their little hero say “I love you” out loud. Cody’s parents want the fullest life possible for him; and to have the deepest relationship that they can with their son
As grueling as this 26 miles will be for Don to run, it is nothing compared to the daily marathon Cody lives - battling daily seizures, high doses of medicines, sensory issues, movement disorders, surgeries, EEG’s and more. It is in the spirit of "Team Cody" that Don will run the Seattle Marathon - as a salute to his "iron-man son" who is his hero. Don and Cody will be training together up until the 30th so look for them running on the streets of the Eastside! The entire marathon would be too long for Cody to endure, so he will join Don for the last leg and they will cross the finish line together! A rare exception was made for Cody. Typically children in strollers aren’t allowed to enter the race – what a thrill for “Team Cody!”
