Our Story

Let’s help Aaron fight to breathe a breath of fresh air

Aaron was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was just 5 days old with a meconium ileus when he had to have an emergent surgery. Cystic fibrosis is a rare genetic incurable disease that can affect the lungs and digestive system. The body produces thick and sticky mucus that can clog the lungs and obstruct the pancreas and passageways. Symptoms can vary between chronic cough, repeated lung infections, inability to gain weight, and fatty stools. People with this condition tend to have a shorter-than-normal life span. Aaron has done pretty well living with this disease up until about 2007 when he was hospitalized for pneumonia in which they found MRSA and burkholderia cepacia growing in his lungs. Both of these bacterias can be dangerous, but the b. cepacia is rare and can be life threatening for people living with cystic fibrosis. Not too many years ago, CF patients with b. cepacia could not even get approved to be accepted to have a lung transplant, but thankfully there are a handful of medical universities that will accept CF patients with this bacterium.

Since 2007, he has been hospitalized countless times and does multiple daily treatments to delay the inevitable loss of lung function. Despite the toll his disease takes on him, he has always been the first person to offer a helping hand. Aaron used to spend a lot of his spare time lifting weights, running for exercise, and even played drums in a rock band for about 8 years until his first child was born. He has also been working full time as a certified occupational therapy assistant for American Seniors Community for the last 12 years helping others along the way.

Now the time has come where Aaron needs a bilateral lung transplant and now requires YOUR HELP since he is no longer able to work to provide for his family!  Aaron’s wishes are to see his precious children (Eli now 8 yrs old and Avery now 13 yrs old) grow up hopefully into adulthood and continue making memories with the love of his life, Abbey. Another far away dream is to maybe even work on rebuilding an old American muscle car with his kids like he did with his late grandfather, Charles, when he was growing up. Although there is no cure for cystic fibrosis, a lung transplant can extend a patient’s life and improve their quality of life afterwards. Aaron’s lung capacity is currently between 19-21% and due to the nature of CF, it will continue to decline.

Aaron is preparing for a bilateral lung transplant at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. There are many costs not covered by insurance as well as lifelong expenses related to transplant (including follow up care and multiple anti-rejection prescriptions). Aaron’s family has partnered with COTA (Children’s Organ Transplant Association) to help raise funds in Aaron’s honor to help assist with transplant related expenses.

Please consider how you can help, and share our mission with others. Through your love and support we can all help Aaron breathe just a little bit easier. Thank you for all of the phone calls, texts, cards, prayers, and positive thoughts while we head down this journey with Aaron.

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) helps children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA is the nation’s only fundraising organization solely dedicated to raising life-saving dollars in honor of transplant-needy children and young adults. 100% of each contribution made to COTA in honor of our patients helps meet transplant-related expenses. COTA’s services are free to our families and gifts to COTA are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.