Tthe fundraising goal has recently been updated per a conversation between Ella’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 Ella’s Fight volunteer team for raising funds for the campaign in honor of Ella!

When I set the campaign fundraising goals with each of our families, I suggest a goal to COTA patients that I believe is needed for any patient’s long-term expenses and transplant-related costs, and the goal generally reflects the next four to five years of out-of-pocket costs. For example, most of our patients will have $5,000 to $10,000 in annual co-payments, deductibles, and medications, as well as additional costs for an extended in-patient stay, clinic visits and a similar amount for travel to the transplant center. 

In this case I spoke with Gabrielle this week and suggested that we raise the campaign goal in this case due to the high costs of a bone marrow transplant and living near Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital for an extended period. Because of this, I have changed the goal for the COTA for Ella’s Fight campaign to $125,000 to reflect what I believe will be actual costs going forward based on her ongoing transplant care. 

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 Ella’s age and pre-transplant status.

Thank you for all the work and support you have provided to this point, and please keep the Gourlay family in your prayers as she prepares for the transplant in October.