Koda's Backyard of Hope

Meet Koda

Koda is six years old and has the kind of smile that can light up an entire room. He has the deepest dimples, the best laugh, and a way of making people fall in love with him almost instantly.
He loves cars, animals, being outside, swimming, and anything that lets him explore and have fun. He is sweet, silly, determined, curious, and full of personality. Koda brings joy everywhere he goes and is deeply loved by his family, friends, teachers, therapists, and everyone lucky enough to know him.
More than anything, Koda is simply a little boy who loves to laugh, play, and experience the world around him. He has a way of reminding everyone to slow down, enjoy the small moments, and find happiness in the things that matter most.

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Why This Matters

TIME MATTERS

Koda lives with Hunter Syndrome, a rare, progressive and terminal illness that affects nearly every part of his body, organs and brain. It causes pain, stiffness, joint contractures, breathing difficulties, hearing loss, and changes to his heart and brain. Things most children do without thinking can take much more effort for him. There is currently no cure, and the disease can continue taking away abilities over time, such as his ability to walk and talk.
Water is one of the few places where Koda can move more freely, feel less pain and simply be a kid. We cannot control the progression of his disease, but we can create more moments of comfort, movement, laughter and joy while we still have the opportunity.
That is why this matters, and why we are working to make it happen now.

Weekly infusion day.
A lifelong fight to slow down progression.

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From Therapy to Possibility

How Koda's Backyard of Hope BeganKoda’s provider recommended water therapy to help with his joint stiffness and pain, explaining that going a couple of times each week could be very beneficial for him. We started calling around and found a few options, but the closest location was about 40 minutes away.Koda also struggles in large public settings, so we knew therapy in a busy facility surrounded by a lot of people could become another source of stress for him. At the same time, typical physical therapy was becoming more painful and less beneficial. As his condition progressed, his childhood became measured in appointments, procedures, therapies, and surgeries.
We wanted to reduce the medical trauma whenever possible, we wanted to give him back his childhood he deserved.That led us to start looking for a different option. Something Koda could use regularly, safely, and comfortably at home while continuing to work on the stretching, balance, coordination, strength, mobility, and movement exercises his therapy team recommended to help him preserve his abilities for as long as possible.
What began as a search for new therapies to help his pain slowly grew into a much bigger idea.

MORE THAN A BACKYARD

Koda Deserves a Childhood

Koda’s Backyard of Hope is being designed around the things that help him feel his best. At the center will be a warm therapeutic pool where he can move more freely, ease stiffness and pain in his body, build strength, and experience therapy that does not feel like therapy.
The backyard will also include safe adaptive play equipment, soft surfacing, shade, and comfortable spaces where Koda can rest, laugh and spend time with the people he loves most. It is more than a pool or a renovation. It is a place built specifically for Koda to experience movement, freedom, comfort, and childhood.

Become Part of Koda's Hope

Help Bring Our Vision
to Life
Koda's Backyard of Hope

Koda’s Backyard of Hope is becoming possible because of the kindness of businesses, organizations and individuals who believe every child deserves a place to feel safe, free, and happy. Koda may never be on the baseball, football or basketball team, but in the water he has pure joy.There are many ways to be part of this project through financial support, donated materials, equipment, services or simply helping us share Koda’s story. Every contribution, big or small, brings us one step closer to creating a backyard where Koda can move with less pain, receive needed therapy, play without limitations and make memories with the people who love him most.