COTA for Collin's Kidney

Our Story

Collin was born in October, 2010 with known chronic kidney disease. As a result, his body was challenged with one working kidney and stage-3 kidney disease.

Collin’s kidney function continued to decline over the next three years. In 2013, we were introduced to Shumyle Alam MD, New York Presbyterian Children’s Hospital. Dr. Alam’s proactive and cutting edge approach changed the course of Collin’s kidney health. At the time, we were preparing for kidney failure within 18 months. Thanks to Dr. Alam, Collin’s one working kidney stabilized and remained strong for the next twelve years!

What Collin (15) likes to do today:

Collin sings in the church choir, plays the cello and piano and used to play soccer and volleyball. If he isn’t playing something, he’s reading! When he can, he reads a 500 page book in two days. He looks forward to getting back on the field and court after transplant. In the 6th grade, he joined a three-year summer program at Utah Valley University that focused on STEM education. He completed that program in the summer of 2025.

Collin loves practicing math and building engineering projects. He loves learning about science, specially the human body. Collin wants to attend medical school and become a nephrologist (kidney doctor). His goal is to help children with kidney failure. What makes him really excited is thinking about being able to share his own stories with them. He loves the idea that they will know that he can relate to their struggles.

WHAT COLLIN NEEDS NOW:

Today, Collin is in full kidney failure and is on dialysis. He is waitlisted in California and Utah. He also has a potential donor being tested. If that donor works out, we hope that Collin can receive his transplant in February.

Our plan is to do the transplant at Stanford University. We chose Stanford because they specialize in transplanting patients who have multiple medical conditions like Collin.

When Collin asked about raising funds to help with the high medical cost, the hospital connected him with COTA. COTA has successfully supported transplant patients for 40+ years. The funds raised through COTA will offer Collin support for a lifetime of transplant-related expenses.

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. Many companies match contributions.