The fundraising goal has recently been updated per a conversation between Emily and Scott, 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 Emilys Lungs volunteer team for raising funds for the campaign in honor of Emily.

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 families have extensive needs due to health issues that reappear years after a transplant occurs. With this in mind, I suggest goals to COTA patients and parents that I believe is needed for any patient’s long-term expenses and transplant-related costs were. 

For example, most of our patients will have $5,000 to $10,000 in annual co-payments, deductibles, and medications, as well as $10,000 or more of additional costs for clinic visits and a similar amount for travel to the transplant center. This could mean $25,000 to $35,000 for these costs alone for any patient in two years after transplant. In Emily’s case, her extended follow-up care will be more costly and I recommended we increase goal in light of these facts.

In this case I spoke with Emily and Scott and suggested that we raise 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 raised the goal for the COTA for Emilys Lungs campaign from $65,000 to $85,000 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 her current health status.

Thank you for all the work and support you have provided to this point, and please keep Emily and Scott in your prayers she prepares to be discharged soon!