Pedulla: Story of Cody Dorman teaches lessons about life

Why?

I have had so many questions and so few answers the last couple of years as I chronicled the relationship between Cody Dorman and the wonderful horse named after him, Cody’s Wish.

In many ways, it was a feel-good story. It was impossible not to be swept up in the emotion of the moment as observers related the first encounter between Cody and what was then a weanling of five months.

During a visit to Godolphin’s Gainsborough Farm arranged by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the son of Curlin slowly approached the wheelchair and sniffed around before burying his head in Cody’s lap to the delight of his new friend.

There were many other feel-good moments. After the horse finished third in each of his first three races, Cody told his mother, Leslie, that he would not win until they were present. Sure enough, after boy and horse acknowledged each other before the race, Cody’s Wish broke his maiden on Oct. 2, 2021, at Churchill Downs.

That soon was followed by a celebration of the teenager’s birthday at the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, with Cody’s Wish taking everything in. At one point, Cody’s father, Kelly, said of the relationship that captivated fans, “Them two just have some type of language they use to communicate with each other. You can’t hear it, but you can certainly see it and you can certainly feel it. It’s pretty amazing.”

Along the way, there was an interview with Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin USA, who quickly grasped the inspiring nature of the story that was unfolding. “For lots of people who go through difficult days and have bigger challenges than we’d ever know about, it gives them hope,” he said.

Junior Alvarado, who became the regular rider for Cody’s Wish and learned to get along with the potentially headstrong mount so well, told of how he and his wife, Kelly, pointed to Dorman in conveying to their children how fortunate they are. “It hasn’t been easy, not even one day in his life,” Alvarado said.

That comment only added to questions that troubled me. Why does a genetic disorder such as Wolf Hirschhorn syndrome exist? Why would any divine power ordain that an innocent child should suffer so?

Cody required the first of two open-heart surgeries when he was five weeks old after a less invasive procedure failed. He needed almost 50 operations to extend his life. He regularly experienced seizures. He never knew what it was to walk or talk, relying on subtle head movements to communicate through a tablet.

Why? It all seemed so cruel.

Then it was back to those feel-good moments. Cody looking on as Cody’s Wish staged a breathtaking rally to win the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland last year. Cody attending his junior prom at Madison Central High School in Richmond, Ky., with his therapist while an NBC Sports film crew captured his grand arrival in a 1955 Chevy Bel Air. Cody making it to his first Kentucky Derby earlier this year when the horse of his dreams launched his 5-year-old campaign by winning the Churchill Downs Stakes as part of the undercard.

Cody delighted in a family trip to Saratoga in August. Even though Cody’s Wish finished third in a failed attempt to stretch out in the 1 1/8-mile Whitney, his biggest fan understood that even the greatest of horses can be defeated. Then there was the journey to California for the career finale in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Sure enough, Cody’s Wish dug deep and came running with everything he had to overtake National Treasure by a desperate nose.

My elation gave way to dejection the following day when I landed in New York, turned on my cellphone and read the shocking news that Cody had died of a medical event during his trip home.

Why? Once more, I struggled to make sense of it all.

It took a conversation with his grieving father to put me at ease. The day before the family left for the West Coast, he asked Cody if he was certain he wanted to make the long trip. He was. Cody was so excited on race day that he woke his mother at 2:30 a.m. to say how much he appreciated his family for taking him – and that they needed to get ready to leave for Santa Anita!

Once my reassuring conversation with Kelly ended, he texted a bit later, “Going back through my phone and seeing how happy he was here has helped me tremendously. I just hope and pray in my last days that I can have this joy also.”

I am at peace now. Despite his affliction, Cody cherished every moment. He inspired others who are severely challenged to do the same. He survived far longer than many doctors thought possible.

Although he died after 17 too-short years, Cody taught us how to live.