People smiled as an 18-year-old man moved from hug to hug Sunday at a spaghetti dinner in his honor at the Butler American Legion Post 117.

Three weeks ago Codie Stevenson, a 2020 Butler High School graduate and an active member of the U.S. Navy, had transplants for his heart and liver. He has had two cardiac biopsies since, showing no signs of rejection.

“The organs are doing great, and I feel amazing,” Stevenson said.

Karissa Scarmack, his mother, held emotion in her voice as she talked, particularly about her appreciation for all whom have supported her son.

“Everybody here is the reason he never lost hope,” Scarmack said.

One of his supporters, Dorean DeMar, of Butler, carried a pile of empty sauce-covered trays to the garbage as she stopped to talk to Stevenson. She said her daughter, Hannah DeMar, is friends with Stevenson, having met through JROTC.

“It’s an absolute miracle. God has his hand on him,” DeMar said. “He has a tenacious spirit.”

In October, Stevenson realized something was off. He was attending the A-School, or accession training, for the Navy. The school involves sailors training in the technical aspects of their respective fields.

Stevenson left the Florida school to visit a nearby hospital’s emergency room, where it was discovered his gallbladder was infected. And doctors found something else.

“Upon getting to the ER, they told me that I had an enlarged heart and fluid in my lungs,” Stevenson said.

The doctors in Florida recommended seeking treatment elsewhere more equipped to help him, so he returned to his hometown Butler Memorial Hospital, though not for long. Butler Memorial sent Stevenson by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital.

Doctors in Pittsburgh told Stevenson that he was suffering from multiple organs failing, including his heart, kidney, liver, thyroid and gallbladder. He said they also said he had fluid and blood clots in around his lungs.

The first step was dialysis, followed by the implanting of a device that helped keep Stevenson’s body running on a minimal level while both a heart and liver were found.

“He was on dialysis for a week straight, 24 hours a day,” Scarmack said.

Day after day, Stevenson and his mother waited for news of a donor. Near the end, doctors saw troubling signs in Stevenson’s heart.

According to Mayo Clinic, an important measurement for the heart’s functionality is tracking the ejection fraction, which measures how well the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood throughout the aorta, the body’s main artery.

According the American Heart Association, a normally functioning heart has an ejection fraction between 50% and 75%.

Stevenson said the day he found out about his transplant, his rate was 5%.

Scarmack said the situation was “touch and go” for a long time. The day her son’s donor was found was a Thursday, but before that, she was told if they hadn’t found one by end of day, then her son would be put on life-support the following morning.

“Miracles happen every single day, I suppose,” Scarmack said.

Stevenson said he was glad the wait was over, though he had developed a routine to his time in the hospital. The doctors had said all they had to say. He had no further tests to complete. He said he played everything by ear.

“Hoping, that’s all I could do,” Stevenson said.

With his new organs trending in the right direction, Stevenson now begins rebuilding his body around them. Stevenson said his physical therapy largely will revolve around rebuilding muscle and cardiovascular capacities.

He said the goal is to get his body back to about the same level it was before he left for the hospital. It will likely take months to heal and recover some of his lost muscle.

“I lost close to, or more than, 50 pounds in muscle alone,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said all of his rehabilitation will be in the shadow of uncertainty about his career. He said the fate of his career in the Navy will be decided by a medical review board, which could medically discharge, medically retire or give him a non-combat role.

“The biggest factor in that is I’m going to be on medications for the rest of my life, so I will not be deployable because there would be no way for me to get the medications I require on a deployment.”

Stevenson said if it were up to him, he would go back and continue his military career.

“That’s my job. That’s what I’ve wanted to do for my entire life,” Stevenson said. “I wanted to do 20 years, so I could retire from the military.”

Despite the uncertainty of his future as a Navy man, many veterans were part of a crowd of hundreds who showed up for Sunday’s event, which featured a spaghetti dinner, music and basket raffles.

Michael Martinez, a retired Air Force veteran, said saw posts on Facebook sharing Stevenson’s story.

“It’s really tough,” Martinez said. “You never expect things to happen the way this happened to him.”

Martinez said he was happy to show his support along with others. He said it’s no surprise to see the veterans and other community members support him.

“There’s a brother and sisterhood that once you’re in, that’s it. It doesn’t go away,” Martinez said. “I don’t know him, but he’s my brother-in-arms.”

Before his military career, Stevenson worked as a barback and waiter at the Post 117, and some of his former colleagues were quick to embrace the call to action for the fundraiser.

One of multiple organizers, Chrysta Anthony, a waiter at the Legion, had worked alongside Stevenson.

“He’s a great kid with a great personality,” Anthony said. “He’s a hard worker.”

Anthony said many businesses and community members were quick to donate for the cause. She said every dollar went directly to Stevenson, hopefully to offset the costs of being off from work, the traveling expenses and even the medical bills.

Anthony said Stevenson was adamant about attending the event to thank everyone personally.

Stevenson said he wasn’t one to make speeches in front of large crowds, but he didn’t mind stopping by smaller groups of people to check in and thank them for the support, even some who he didn’t know.

“It’s crazy. It’s moving. I really just don’t know what to say. I thank everyone that’s here from the bottom of my heart,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said before he became sick, he was healthy, and then he wasn’t. He said doctors have ruled out genetics, diseases and viruses.

“We don’t know what caused it. We may never know what caused it,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson donated his heart to the hospital to examine it closer. He said the hospital will be able to do dissect and do tests on the heart.

“Hopefully some answers may come out of that, and if not, maybe they will find something in my old heart that can help somebody else who’s going through what I did,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said is also looking forward to finding out more about his donor. The only information he was given was the man who donated his new organs was 32-years-old.

According to Stevenson, transplant coordinators said he will be able to contact the family. The purpose they told him would help Stevenson adjust, and it will give the family of the donor more opportunity to grieve.

“I’m definitely interested in that,” Stevenson said.