Help Koda get a Life-Saving Bone Marrow Transplant
Hi, we are the Kernodle's and we created this fundraiser for our rescue pup, Koda. Koda is a four year old lab/border collie mix that we rescued as a puppy. About a month ago, our family was devastated to find out that Koda has been diagnosed with Stage III multicentric large B-cell lymphoma.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes and lymphatic system. It is caused by the abnormal proliferation of lymphocytes which are one of the main types of white blood cells involved in immunity.
We found Koda's cancer after he simply broke a toenail. It seemed like the broken nail was hurting him a lot, and we were afraid to clip it off at home. We took him to the vet and while he was there they noticed that his lymph nodes were swollen. They told us that it was concerning and asked for permission to take a sample from his lymph nodes for testing. Of course, we agreed to the test. But we weren't very concerned. We thought that Koda might have an infection. I mean there are a lot of reasons for swollen lymph nodes right?
A couple of weeks later we were on our way to a date at the art museum nearby. We pulled into the parking lot and my phone rang. It was a vet we hadn't met before from our practice. He asked how Koda was doing, and I told him he was totally fine, back to his normal self. His voice sounded choked as he proceeded to tell us that Koda's test results has returned a diagnosis of lymphoma. That in this type of cancer preserving quality of life might be more important than time. That we could expect chemotherapy and around $10,000 in vet bills. He gave us a referral to two oncology clinics. We left our date and drove straight to see my husband's parents. We cried and spent the night in his childhood bedroom.
Days later we were meeting with our oncologist. She talked us through the process of staging Koda's cancer. She told us that the best treatment would be chemotherapy to start. We cried when she told us that without treatment, Koda would likely only have two months. We didn't understand how that could be the case. He wasn't even sick, still seemed like his normal self. He started chemotherapy that day, and we discovered he was stage III, which is apparently okay news since stages I and II are very breed specific and wouldn't likely be seen for him.
The oncologist told us that even with chemotherapy, Koda's cancer would not be cured. That even if he was in remission, the cancer would be hiding somewhere undetectable. Each time it would resurge, offering a shorter remission with each round of treatment until becoming completely resistant to chemotherapy. She told us that at Koda's age, a bone marrow transplant could be a good option. It would be our best chance at a cure for Koda's cancer. The treatment is offered at only 2 places in the country, one of which is NC State's vet school, just down the street. NC State is the place we met and our Alma Mater.
The biggest consideration in the treatment was the cost. The transplant can only be completed after 5 months of chemotherapy, when Koda is in remission. Afterwards the transplant will be double or triple the total chemotherapy costs. My husband and I have good jobs and have been able to keep up with the cost of chemotherapy. But we are also newlyweds, trying to buy a home, and create a base of savings to support our life and future family. The cost was prohibitively expensive.
After weeks of back and forth, we decided we couldn't live with not giving Koda a chance at a full life. Four years just isn't enough time. Isn't a fair life for him. We want to see him with our children one day. Want to watch him stick his head out of the car window while his tongue flops out of his mouth. Want to spend every possible moment we can with him.
So we decided, no matter what, that we would find a way to pay for the surgery. We started working on selling my wedding dress. Looked into selling the car. Started thinking about second jobs. Cut out as many unnecessary bills as possible. Honestly, I was resistant to starting a fundraising page. Ultimately, we made one after multiple friends asked if there was somewhere they could contribute. So here we are.
Koda is on the waitlist for a transplant at NC State. If they can't fit him in when he is ready, we will take him across the country to Washington. First, he will go through a final session of high-dose Cytoxan, one of his chemotherapy drugs. Then, stem cells will be harvested from him and stored. He will have Total Body Irradiation (TBI) to completely demolish his immune system, where the cancer is located. Afterwards, the stem cells harvested from his own body will be put back into him to rebuild his bone marrow and immune system. Like resetting his entire body. With any luck, Koda will have a cure, and at least extra time. Koda will be hospitalized for several weeks away from us, as he will have a compromised immune system and be very susceptible to illness.
If you're still here, thank you for reading this. Some people might think taking on this kind of expense and hardship isn't worth it for a dog. But Koda isn't just a dog. He's our baby, our son. The light of our life. Our family would be devastated to lose him so soon. Dogs may not get as much time on this earth as we do, but they deserve as full of a life as we can give them. When we adopted Koda, he became our responsibility in every way. We want to give him the best shot we can.
Thank you again for reading our story. If you are able to contribute to Koda's care, it would be deeply appreciated.
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