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Pilot For a Day: Kodey Deuz

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jerome S. Tayborn
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  Imagine being born with your heart, one the most vital organs in your body, being defective. Next imagine having to endure open heart surgery at the tender age of four months old.

Kodey Deuz 6, was born with a ventricular septal defect in his heart, a condition in which there is one or more holes in the wall that separates the right and left ventricles of the heart.

Though currently free of VSD, Kodey still suffers from aortic stenosis, which is a narrowing of the aortic valve, aortic insufficiency, which is a leaking in the aortic valve, and mitral regurgitation a leaky valve, which causes blood leakage.

However none of that stops this golden heart boy who dreams of one day becoming a firefighter, and helping his fellow man.

"We are closely monitoring how he handles physical activities, because if he starts to dwindle down, they will need to replace his aortic valve, said Alicia, Kodey's mother.

From first glance, you may never know he endured such traumatic heart complications, but he has already experienced more trauma than most people will ever see in a lifetime, and he is only six years old.

Kodey was selected Pilot for the Day program, after he contracted blood infection during a visit to the dentist.

For most people who get their gums scratched during a dental visit it heals. But for him the bacteria quickly spread to his blood stream and then directly to his heart.

This happened recently when one of his filings fell out and he had to have it replaced, the bacteria got into his blood stream, and he had to hospitalize for two months. During that time the doctors were waiting to see if he would need open heart surgery again, but he eventually he recovered.

Kodey, his mother and father, and his sister, toured different areas of JBPHH as a guest of the "Pilot for a Day" program hosted by the 96th Air Refueling Squadron.

During his visit, Kodey got to "fly" in a KC-135 simulator, operate a bomb disposal robot, learn about aircrew flight equipment and receive a first-hand tour of a KC-135.

"One of the activities that Kodey enjoyed the most was a 20-man inflatable life raft, he bounced around in it as if it were his own private little bounce house," said Alicia Deuz, Kodey's mother.

"Our family has never toured any military bases, and we never got to see all the things military members do, she said. We learned a lot about the KC-135 Stratotanker, the flight crew, and the boom. Typically we only see stuff like that in the movies; it was good to be able to see all the equipment and the people who maintain it firsthand."

"I really appreciate all they have done for him, not many people receive opportunities like this, he was very excited about the day and it ended up being a great opportunity for him," said Alicia.

"It was an honor to host Kodey and his family and show them the mission of the 15th Wing. Seeing the smile on Kodey's face as he flew the KC-135 simulator truly validated the mission of the Pilot for a Day program. I think he had a great time!" said the vice president of the 15th Wing's Pilot for a Day program, 1st Lt. Matt Savage.