The fundraising goal has recently been updated per a conversation between Caden’s family and Rick Lofgren, COTA President & CEO. This letter below from Rick explains the recent change:

Greetings from COTA!

I want to congratulate the COTA for Caden volunteer team for raising funds for the campaign in honor of Caden.

When I set the campaign fundraising goals with all of our families, I try to do so knowing that we want to raise funds for several years, and knowing that many volunteer teams have had more challenges during the pandemic and fundraising these days happens very differently than in the past. With this in mind, for the past 28 months I have suggested goals to COTA patients that I believe is needed for any patient’s long-term expenses and transplant-related costs. 

For example, most of our patients will have $5,000 to $7,500 in annual co-payments, deductibles, and medications, as well as additional costs for clinic visits and a similar amount for travel to the transplant center. 

In this case I spoke with Noah this week and suggested that we lower the goal to better reflect what I believe is the true long-term expense that a patient will incur in the future. Because of this, I have decreased the goal for the COTA for Caden campaign from $40,000 to $25,000 to reflect what I believe will be actual costs going forward. 

Please know there are many factors in this and that I bear the responsibility of justifying this to anyone who asks, and am happy to do this as I believe that it is the right thing to do given Caden’s current health status.

Thank you for all the work and support you have provided to this point, and please keep Caden and his family in your prayers as they prepare for his transplant.