COTA for Elliot

Our Story

Elliot’s smile will melt your heart and lift your spirits. He is seven years old and lives in Chicago, Illinois, with his parents, little sister Alice, and two cats. He is in first grade and has become a master at staying in touch with his cousins and grandparents and extended family on video calls.

Elliot was born in Dublin, Ireland. Not long after birth, he was diagnosed with Congenital Nephrotic Syndrome (CNS) of the Finnish type. CNS is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern and causes kidneys to fail early in life. Because both parents need to carry the gene, it is a relatively rare disorder, affecting 1-3 per 100,000 children worldwide. It’s a bit more common in Finland, where it affects about 1 in 10,000 children. While prognosis of CNS used to be dire, especially in the first year of life, aggressive new treatments have made it possible for children with this condition to grow and thrive and receive life-saving kidney transplants. Elliot received wonderful care by the nurses and doctors at Temple Street Children’s University Hospital in Dublin. Since his family returned to Chicago, he has received great medical care in the nephrology department at Lurie’s Children Hospital. 

Elliot’s condition is lifelong and a kidney transplant is the only long-term treatment. Elliot was transplanted on Nov 8th, 2021 and we anticipate that Elliot will have a lifetime of medical needs to keep his body from rejecting his new organ.  That is why, with the help of  Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA), we are raising funds to assist with a lifetime of transplant-related expenses, including living donor expenses. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law and every dollar you donate is available for a lifetime of transplant expenses.

Elliot is ready for the world! He is the most enthusiastic mini-golf player that you will meet. He’s a master at pool and memory games. His goal celebrations after a round of indoor hockey are epic. He has a big heart and is always ready to extend compassion and kindness to those around him. One of his favorite hobbies is searching the internet to look at sports stadiums. His dream is to visit all of the major sports stadiums in the United States. With your help, Elliot will realize that dream and many more.

You can follow Elliot’s journey on Facebook and Instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/Team-Elliot-100925922148564

https://www.instagram.com/cota_for_elliot/

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