COTA for Ariel's Journey

Our Story

Ariel’s Journey to a Liver Transplant

Ariel is a sweet, loving, and funny 13-year-old girl who is the oldest of a very close-knit family. Before her unexpected and rapidly progressing illness, Ariel loved playing the trumpet, soccer, basketball, and track. She also enjoyed board games and playing Roblox with her family and friends. Ariel is surrounded by so much love and support from family and friends near and far, and she is incredibly grateful for everyone who has continued to show her love and encouragement.

Ariel’s journey began in August 2026 when she experienced a health concern that needed to be evaluated by a doctor. After being seen, bloodwork was ordered, and the results came back very abnormal. Ariel returned multiple times for additional lab work, and each time the results continued to be concerning. After her second abnormal set of labs, her doctor became concerned that Ariel could have a blood disorder or disease and referred her to a pediatric hematologist at Teton Cancer Institute in Idaho Falls.

Shortly afterward, Ariel became extremely dizzy and experienced severe stomach pain. Her family took her back to a walk-in clinic, where they discovered that her spleen was enlarged. Additional testing was done to rule out mono, but the results were negative.

Later that evening, Ariel’s doctor called with more concerning news. Ariel’s red and white blood cell counts were low; her platelets were very low, and the protein responsible for helping her blood clot was abnormal. Her liver enzymes were over 800, and she was also diagnosed with anemia and nodules on her liver and spleen. Because of the seriousness and complexity of her condition, her doctor instructed her parents, Kae’la & Flavio, to take Ariel to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City immediately so she could be evaluated by multiple specialists.

After being admitted, Ariel spent four long days in the hospital undergoing numerous tests and procedures, including a liver biopsy, iron infusions, extensive bloodwork, and an upper endoscopy.

It was during this hospitalization that Ariel and her family received the devastating diagnosis: Ariel has cirrhosis of the liver and an autoimmune disease that causes her immune system to mistakenly attack her healthy liver cells, leading to inflammation and significant liver damage.

Her doctors determined that Ariel’s liver is severely scarred and that she needs a liver transplant.

Over the past month, Ariel and her family have been traveling back and forth to Salt Lake City for numerous appointments and evaluations with specialists. Ariel is now officially listed on the liver transplant list and is waiting for the transplant that she needs.

This has been an incredibly unexpected and difficult journey for Ariel and her family. While they focus on Ariel’s health, appointments, treatments, and the hope of a transplant, the financial and emotional challenges continue to grow.

We are asking for support of COTA for Ariel’s Journey to help with transplant-related expenses that come with this journey, such as travel to Salt Lake City, medical-related expenses, lodging, meals, and other unexpected transplant-related costs along the way.

Any contribution to COTA for Ariel’s Journey, no matter the amount, would mean so much to Ariel and her family. If you are unable to donate, sharing Ariel’s story and keeping her in your thoughts and prayers is just as meaningful.

Thank you for surrounding Ariel with love, encouragement, and kindness as she continues to fight through this unexpected journey. We are so grateful for every person who has reached out, donated to COTA for Ariel’s Journey, shared her story, or simply taken the time to think of Ariel and her family.

Please help us rally around Ariel as she waits for her life-changing liver transplant. ❤️

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.