Fundraiser in memory of Washington Twp. man will benefit scleroderma awareness

Two years ago, Kody Churma of Washington Township was a hale and healthy young man with a great love of the outdoors and a talent for art.

Less than a year-and-a-half later, Kody was unable to hold a fishing pole, couldn’t draw because he wasn’t able to hold onto a pencil, and died from complications related to scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that attacks skin tissue and can damage internal organs.

“We had what was a perfectly healthy 25-year-old, and in 16 months, his quality of life plummeted and he was gone,” said Kody’s mother Laurie Churma.

Before he died, Kody started a nonprofit organization, Scler-Churma, to try and raise awareness and educate others about the disease.

“As things progressed very quickly, we found out that there’s very little support for the person who’s been diagnosed, and for their family,” Laurie said.

His sister Montana agreed.

“There’s not a lot of information out there, or a lot of knowledge about what was going on with his body,” she said.

The Churma family will host a Nov. 19 fundraiser to benefit the Scler-Churma organization at the Shootin’ Bull Tavern on the border of Murrysville and Washington Township.

The evening will include a spread of Kody’s favorite foods including tacos and cheesecake, live music, a Chinese auction and a lantern release in his memory.

“We have so many of the Chinese auction baskets I don’t even know where we’re going to put them all,” said Kody’s sister Brooke. “We’re going to celebrate his birthday and celebrate his life at (the tavern), one of the places he felt the most comfortable.

As Kody’s scleroderma progressed, his skin began to tighten and he was unable to do a lot of the activities he enjoyed. But patrons at the Shootin’ Bull always treated him like family, Brooke said.

“Your appearance changes,” she said, “But everyone down here was very understanding and treated him great.”

In turn, Kody was more than willing to lend a hand.

“He’d help out with anything without being asked,” said Shootin’ Bull manager Lara Oswalt. “He was a kind soul and a good boy.”

Laurie Churma said she hopes that through the fundraiser, Scler-Churma will be able to make more people aware of what they can do to help themselves.

“You have to be your own advocate,” she said. “Early detection is key, and even a simple blood test for autoimmune (diseases) could be part of an annual checkup. There’s an (antinuclear antibodies) blood test that can detect up to 150 autoimmune diseases.”

Kody chose a whale as the Scler-Churma mascot.

“Whales are willing to sacrifice themselves to help other whales,” Laurie said. “Kody saw how devastating this was to his family and said he didn’t want anyone else to have to go through that.”

For more, see SclerChurma.org .

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick at 724-850-2862, pvarine@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MurrysvilleStar.