Allison had a kidney transplant in 2007 when she was 8 years old and will need another within 5 years. She has a passion for playing the violin and has played in the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association for 8 years. She dreams of sometime playing with Seattle Symphony. In the fall, she will attend Central Washington University to study Music Education.
Katherine attends Emerald Ridge High School. While maintaining a 3.7 GPA, Katie plays 2nd chair clarinet in Concert Band and participates in many activities including Marching Band, Cheer and Honor Society. She is also a Girl Scout Camp Counselor. Katie intends to be a pediatric nutritionist so she can help kids, like herself, manage and live with celiac disease.
In Puyallup, volunteers are raising funds for COTA in honor of transplant patients like local sisters, Allison and Katherine. Allison and Katherine are the daughters of Robert and Jennifer Blankenship. Both were diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease. Katherine is in end stage renal failure and is awaiting a transplant. Allison had a kidney transplant in 2007 and will likely need an additional transplant before she gets through school. Both girls are fighters who excel in school and serve their community in different ways. The family faces physical, financial, and emotional challenges as they help their girls through kidney failure and all it entails. With the cost of a transplant often exceeding $500,000, many transplant families are unable to shoulder the financial burden of such a procedure. The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-related expenses.
The COTA for Blankenships campaign is raising funds to assist with transplant related expenses. An estimated $50,000 is being raised by Puyallup volunteers. Please join us in making a miracle for these sisters and their family.
