Our friend, teammate, and coworker Koda has recently been diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. If you’ve ever met them, you know what an incredible force they are—both on and off the track. A powerhouse in the Portland roller derby scene, Koda is not only a fierce competitor but also a generous and uplifting teammate who brings light and strength to everyone around them.

Beyond derby, Koda is an extraordinary veterinary nurse. They go above and beyond for their patients every single day—especially those nervous kiddos who need extra comfort. Their compassion extends to our team pets too, always taking the time to give them love and care. Watching them grow their skills, especially in surgery, has been inspiring.

Now, it’s our turn to rally around them. Cancer treatment is exhausting and costly, and we want to make sure Koda has the support they need so they can keep shining in the clinic, on the track, and in life. Any contribution—big or small—will make a difference in helping cover medical bills, time away from work, and giving them space to focus on healing.

Please consider donating or sharing this campaign. Let’s show Dkoata the same love and dedication they’ve always shown us.

Here is a message from Koda:

Before a roller derby tournament in April I had been out of breath at practice and was having some coughing fits , I thought it was left over from a cold I had a few weeks prior. I even went to an urgent care before flying to Arizona and was told I had no wheezing so I didn't need x-rays and was told I was fine. Right after the tournament when I was packing to fly home, the right side of my chest felt weird, I can only describe it as crinkly. After landing I scheduled another urgent care visit where I got an X-ray and they found a 10cm mass in my chest. I then got a CT, then got transfered to the ER. It's been multiple sedated biopsies, a surgical biopsy, a pet scan, a few CTs , and 6 weeks but I got a diagnosis. Stage IV Hodgkin's lymphoma. it's now September and I'm now 3 months ( half way! ) into my treatment and the chemo is taking its toll. I'm more fatigued, I sleep more. My body feels heavy. The nausea is intense. I'm having to work less because it's so draining. I'm hesitant to have a GoFundMe but any help is appreciated.