Research & Resilience
Luck is Not a Plan. Patients Need Staying Power.
Just last week, my daughter Molly got engaged. It was beautiful—true love, a hopeful future, and a joyful celebration surrounded by family. It genuinely filled my heart for her and everyone who loves her.
And thankfully, Grace, her sister, and our family’s complex disorder patient, was there too. It was a lucky day.
My daughter got sick, her symptoms progressed, but science didn't. Now I'm fighting to change that.
One thing I’ve learned: patients are resilient. Especially patients living with chronic illness. These disorders are relentless. They settle in—sometimes overnight—and they don’t let go. Patients in this space fight for their health minute by minute, all day, every day.
I know this because I live it with my daughter, Grace.
CODA was founded by patient leader Fidji Simo to drive research forward and bring answers to patients, faster.
As I learned quickly with Grace, complex disorder patients were lacking a well-organized research network of experts and a true research model to move the space forward faster—one built to handle different patient symptoms with no true explanation, speed up understanding of the interconnectedness of different systems, and deliver real impact. That’s exactly what CODA does.
CODA came into being because a very strong, determined patient leader - Fidji Simo - knew something more had to be done. Much more.