John Cody, a beloved member of the Santa Ynez Valley community for 58 years, is facing a challenging battle with Stage 4 Prostate cancer that has metastasized to some areas of his bones. Known for his incredible talent as a self-taught sculptor, John has supported his family since 1967. In 1976, he established Cody Gallery, the community’s first art gallery which operated for 35 years.
He mentored hundreds of children throughout the years, sharing his kindness and generosity. During the 90’s he ran an art studio at Midland School, donating his time to guide and mentor young artist.
He hand-built his home in the Los Padres mountains, showcasing his artistic skills with river rock, lumber, and handcrafted details.
In 2020, John was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. He has managed to hold it off with hormone therapy for the last 5 years.
He has been working alongside his daughter Emily in her masonry business, which he found so much joy being able to use his artistic skills.
In February, his cancer worsened and the hormone therapy stopped being effective. As a result, he had to give up his beloved masonry work. The cancer cells left the Prostate and started landing in some of his bone areas, causing severe pain. A 10- day course of radiation was recommended by the doctor, who felt confident it would alleviate the pain in the effected areas.
On May 22nd, he began a 10-day radiation treatment plan. Unfortunately after his 2nd day of Radiation on May 25th, he had to be taken to the emergency room for unrelated issues. He was admitted to Cottage Hospital where he spent the next 24 days. Fortunately, while he was hospitalized, they were able to complete the radiation treatment, which provided significant pain relief.
While there he underwent surgery for a ureteral obstruction caused by his metastatic prostate cancer along with five other procedures. He also battled E.coli and sepsis requiring 14 days of intravenous antibiotics.
John has run out of a lot of options for treatment, Dr Penn tested his cancer cells to see if Amino Therapy would be an options, it came back as a negative treatment for his type of cancer. The only option at this time is Chemo Therapy . Initially opposed to that, John gave it much thought and decided he is going to fight this and complete a round of Chemo Therapy. He had his first round while in the hospital and will be having 5 more rounds every 3 weeks. His out of the pocket co pay for just the Chemo Therapy is approximately $15000.
John’s daughters, Anna and Emily, are his full-time caregivers, facing financial hardships as they provide the necessary support. John is surrounded by the love and support of his family, including his son Quinn Cody and daughter in law Charli Cody, son Flynt Cody and daughter in law Tessa Cody, daughter Kelly Cody and son Cavin as well as his eight grandchildren. Known affectionately as Papa John, he has touched countless lives in the Santa Ynez Valley by helping those in need and opening his doors to many, changing lives for the better. With John’s insurance covering only 80% of his medical bills and no prescription coverage, the family is struggling to manage the costs of medical supplies, travel expenses, and maintaining a sanitary home environment. Your support will help alleviate these burdens, allowing John to focus on his recovery and continue being the inspiring, talented, and kind man he has always been.
