Laurie Churma of Washington Township was joined by friends and family Tuesday as they paid tribute to her son Kody and raised money to fund research into the disease that took his life.
In less than two years, Kody Churma went from a healthy young man to one who was unable to hold a fishing pole, and couldn’t draw because he wasn’t able to hold onto a pencil. Kody died from complications related to scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that attacks skin tissue and can damage internal organs.
Before he died in September 2018 at age 26, Kody started Scler-Churma, a nonprofit organization aimed at raising awareness and educating others about the disease. The organization held its second annual fundraiser on Tuesday at Shootin’ Bull Tavern near the Murrysville-Washington Township border, ending the evening with a lantern release in Kody’s memory.
For more, see SclerChurma.org.
