Cody Betts of Howland, former Trumbull County hoops coach, dies of cancer at 37

HOWLAND — Cody Betts, 37, died this morning at his Howland home after a three-year battle with brain cancer.

Betts, a former basketball coach for Lakeview and Badger high schools, was diagnosed in 2008.

He made headlines in recent weeks after family, friends and community rallied together to raise money to fly him home from California, where he was receiving experimental chemotherapy treatments at a hospital near Los Angeles called City of Hope.

The intense and painful treatments, which the family opted to discontinue, left Betts unable to sit or walk, and he required a special medical flight to get back to Ohio.

Medical flights can cost as much as $25,000, so his family turned to the community for help.

A generous outpouring of financial assistance enabled Cody’s family to pay for a medical flight that brought him home Feb. 9.

After arriving home, he was admitted to Forum Health Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Howland and then moved to the Cleveland Clinic.

He left the clinic on Friday to spend his last days at his home with loved ones.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com