Hi! My name is Angela Marie Frank, and a new “adult” who just turned 18.  Although I am now 18, I’m still a child to most and in my heart.  That being said, doesn’t mean that I am not mindful to my responsibilities, whether it’s taking my medicine, caring for my seven pets, or like most, going to work and school.  I love to do nails, play video games on my PC or Xbox, listen to Taylor Swift, or simply sleeping with all my pets in my mom’s bed.  Now that you know a little about me, here is my story on why I need your help and have reached out to COTA.  I have Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.  These two diagnoses cause my heart to be enlarged and the wiring within my heart to be a little haywire, which means I get extra beats than everyone else and I can feel them.  My mom and I have had to travel 45 minutes to 3 hours so that I can see the best doctors that specialize in my diagnoses. Not everyone is as lucky as I am when it comes to a mom.  My mom puts everything into helping, understanding, and learning about me, my care, and what my condition means for me in the long run.  She hates to miss an appointment, that’s why she’s only ever missed one.  I was adopted from Guatemala, which means we don’t know if my condition was genetic or not.  She was very surprised when she learned her new baby girl at 7 months old had a health condition that could end up to be fatal, but since then she’s morphed her life around being able to be a great mom and caretaker.  I’d like to ask you for your help in donating to COTA in my honor so I can continue to get the best care and have my mom there for all steps of my journey.  She’s my rock and my support system, and traveling these days, as we all know, is EXPENSIVE.  I have a major heart surgery (LVAD) coming up which means she will have to miss work and be with me and when she is not with me, she’ll be at home 3 hours away to take care of our home and our pets.  The traveling back and forth costs will add up, and COTA will assist with transplant-related expenses like these. Whether you can donate to COTA in my honor or share my story, I would greatly appreciate it.  I may not have a tree that grows money, but I do have the best doctors and support system there is.  Thank you for taking a look into my journey and keeping me in your thoughts and prayers.  

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.