STEPHANIE THOMPSON
WHILE most locals are excited to lace up their boots for the start of the football season, the first game will be particularly triumphant for Wunkar’s Cody Schutz.
In 2018, the then 15-year-old was playing for Wunkar’s Independent A grade side when his season was cut short following a devastating leukaemia diagnosis.
Now, the 18-year-old is fighting fit and looking forward to playing alongside his teammates once again.
“I always thought about playing football when I was sick,” he said.
“I always thought it was possible and that I was going to recover and get back at it straight away.”
It was July 2018 when the former Loxton High School student noticed his health rapidly deteriorating.
“I was really fatigued and lost all my fitness in a week,” he said.
“Out of nowhere, I couldn’t even run a lap of the oval and I would come straight from school and (go) straight to bed.”
After a doctor’s appointment and a subsequent blood test, Cody’s world was turned upside down and he was sent to Adelaide immediately.
“I had a bone morrow biopsy and pretty much woke up and they indicated I did have leukaemia,” he said.
“I didn’t go back to the Riverland for months.”
Cody underwent intense treatment for a rare type of leukaemia, which only has three known cases worldwide.
However, the treatment was proving to be unsuccessful and Cody’s mum, Jo Hogg, said a bone marrow transplant in Sydney was his last hope.
“They obviously check your family first for a donor, but we didn’t have anyone who matched,” she said.
“We had to go onto the register and luckily enough, it was only a couple of weeks later when they found us a match out of Germany.
“It was 29-year-old male and he flew to Sydney.
“The transplant nipped it in the bud.”
Cody played junior football at Wunkar and now the family is looking forward to returning to the scene, as Cody’s younger sister, Zali will play netball with the Bulldogs, and Jo has returned as the B grade netball coach.
“For me it’s like coming home,” Jo said.
“This is where we left when it happened and to be able to come back and come together again, it’s a nice feeling.
“Wunkar has always been home and this is our family.”
Cody, who is now an apprentice diesel mechanic, played for Waikerie under 18s last year while the Independent league was in recess due to COVID.
Jo said she was hesitant to let him out on the field.
“Football wasn’t really my idea,” she said.
“But, the doctors tell me he’s capable of anything.”
While the Riverland Independent Football competition starts this weekend, Wunkar has a bye and will play BSR in round two.