COTA for Elie's Fight

Our Story

Our sweet girl Eliana, Elie for short, was born on Christmas Day 2024. The best Christmas surprise we could ever of asked for! She arrived about a week earlier than her due date, just in time for Santa. She made her introduction into the world within 10 minutes, and provided an easy, healthy, and happy delivery. 

After multiple doctors visits and many concerns of how significant her jaundice still appeared to be, her Pediatrician ordered more extensive labs to review her Bili levels. Once their office received the results, we were told to leave as soon as possible to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, UT to be evaluated by the pediatric liver specialist. We immediately packed a bag, and began the 4.5 hour drive up North following our doctor’s instructions. We had to leave Elie’s siblings back home in St. George while grandma, from Kansas City flew to Utah to care for them. She was our biggest blessing through that time, as we had no idea just how much that trip would change our lives forever. 

March 27, 2025 at the age of 3 months, Elie was diagnosed with biliary atresia. A rare liver disease, that if not treated, will result in death. Elie was in the hospital for 6 nights. It was decided that a liver transplant is the only option for Elie to survive, and live a full, healthy life. Our brave girl endured a liver biopsy, many blood draws/labs, CT scans, MRI, X-Rays, and many more imaging and tests within those 7 days for her liver transplant evaluation. 

After she receives her transplant we will need to stay local to Primary Children’s hospital, 4.5 hours from home,  for 3 months so they are able to see her for appointments 3-4 times a week. We also have 3 other amazing kiddos working on what their new normal will look like throughout this transplant process. We have partnered with COTA in hopes for assistance in some of the transplant related financial burdens we are quickly accruing, and that will continue to occur. Insurance will not help with expenses such as travel, lodging/housing or meals for our family of 6. We are hoping that Dad (Justin) can be the living donor, which will result in  8-10 weeks of unpaid leave for recovery, and I will care for Elie and her siblings post transplant.

Your donation to COTA in honor of Elie would be an enormous blessing to our family. We are tremendously grateful for any contributions of any amount. We are finding God’s blessing in all the little details of this life changing journey. The emotional and financial support received we greatly appreciate, and ask for prayers over her and our family during this time of transition to our new normal. 

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.