In December of 2021, Cody Fayard became very sick. This didn’t make sense for the former MVP soccer player, gym-faithful, and hard-working 24 year old. By the end of December, he was so sick and his platelets were so low that Cody’s care team told his mom, Kathy, to take him straight to the hospital. 

They drew Cody’s labs again to make sure there wasn’t a mistake on the results. They found the numbers were correct. On January 8, 2022, Cody was diagnosed with very severe Aplastic Anemia, a very rare blood disorder that would require a bone marrow transplant. 

At the time, he was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola in Florida. His care team felt it would be best for him to be treated at UAB in Birmingham, AL, hours from the Fayards’ home in Gulf Shores, AL. 

Kathy packed their belongings into a storage unit and left her job and home to head to Birmingham. 

“I followed behind the ambulance not knowing what was in store for us, but hoping and praying only for my son’s cure.” 

With Cody’s depleted immune system, they would not be able to stay in group hospitality housing. With no place to stay and no income, they had to trust UAB would help Cody and keep faith that somehow it would all work out.

Kathy learned about Red Mountain Grace from the mother of one of Cody’s friends, Andrea DeWitt. Andrea was a guest of RMG while her father was admitted to the hospital in Birmingham. A few weeks after arriving at UAB, Kathy was able to check into a RMG apartment. 

“I hate to think what would have happened to us if it hadn't been for Red Mountain Grace. They gave us a place when we had nowhere to turn. We both had to leave our jobs because of this, and he needed constant care due to being so weak. The ability to stay in an apartment and take care of him and not have that worry of how we would afford it was just a blessing. The apartment gave us shelter, a warm and safe place to sleep, and a space where I could prepare home-cooked food for my son while he was trying to get better.” 

Cody was placed on the Be The Match bone marrow transplant list. Now, the mother and son waited for a match. Cody's platelets remained very low. He was bleeding very easily, and his blood wouldn't clot. The hospital gave him blood transfusions and bags of platelets daily. There weren’t very many days the first few months that Cody didn't get a transfusion. 

By May 2022, they found a match for Cody. However, in the days leading up to his BMT, Cody got really sick. Kathy rushed him to the ER, where Cody was admitted with 104 degree fever. When he woke up the next morning, he realized he couldn't see out of his left eye. Cody had busted a blood vessel in his eye from straining while sick. He would have to wait until after his BMT to have surgery on the affected eye. 

On May 17th, Cody finally received his bone marrow transplant. He remained in the hospital for 2 months. He was able to have surgery on his eye, but unfortunately, his sight will not return in that eye. 

“My son is always so positive. He is still so thankful to have sight in one eye. At the age of 24, he has been through so much. My heart just breaks for him.”

After 298 nights in their RMG apartment and multiple setbacks, the Fayards felt that Cody was finally strong enough to make the move back home. The two were able to return home just before Thanksgiving. 

“Through all of this, Red Mountain Grace has been there for us. The apartment has been the biggest blessing our family has ever had. I'm not sure what we would have done if it didn’t work with RMG. Thank you all for making this journey so much easier for families like ours.”

Cody is still weak, but he has more good days now than the bad days. He still has a long road ahead of him and a lot of physical therapy to help get his strength back. This will all come in time. 

“There are no words that could come close to telling you how much this has meant to us and how grateful we are.”