Cody's Biography

Cody Hulst

Cody was born on February 22nd, 1996 in St. Cloud, MN. He was a very happy child and loved making others around him smile and laugh. He enjoyed music, video and computer games, going for wagon rides and he loved animals. Cody attended Talahi Elementary School. He got so much enjoyment out of learning new things. He made friends easily and showed a great deal of concern for others. All of his classmates and teachers made him feel very special. They accepted him from the very beginning and every day he could attend school was like a party to him. He would come home so excited with art work in hand and stories to tell about his wonderful classmates.

Cody was diagnosed with cancer on January 9th, 2001. He had a Wilms Tumor in his kidney that had grown and burst. He had his kidney removed. Radiation and chemotherapy began immediately. Cody endured nine months of intense chemo and all the complications that come with it. But, he did it all with a smile on his face. He would just say, "I have cancer so that makes me special". Not even one month after Cody completed his last round of chemo the cancer returned in his lungs. Further radiation and chemo were not able to stop the tumors from growing. At this point quality of life was most important. Cody was able to fulfill his Make-A-Wish, going to DisneyWorld. We stayed at an amazing resort called Give Kids The World which alone was like an amusement park. It's a resort for children who have experienced a life threatening illness and it is focused entirely on children. Cody was also able to enjoy a wonderful summer going to the zoo, the beach, and spending time with family and friends without feeling tired and ill from treatments. Cody showed such compassion for others and his main concern was never about himself but the well being of others. He told us on several occasions that he wanted to be a doctor so he could help other sick children and always tried to comfort other children during his stays at the Children's Hospital.

Sadly, Cody passed away on August 20th, 2002. But, his name will live on in this foundation which bears his name. We want to carry on Cody's dream of helping other children battling illness and to keep the hope alive. Cody was such a special little boy who taught us about courage, love, and hope and what a gift life truly is. We want to share Cody's courage, love and hope with others.

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