We are overwhelmed, in the very best way.

When we first set a goal of $100,000 for COTA to help cover the transplant-related expenses for our sweet Evelyn, it felt enormous. It felt like a mountain. And yet, here we are, standing at the top of it, because of you.

Over 100 contributors. Countless prayers. All for our incredible little girl.

Thank you. From the very bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Why This Milestone Matters So Much

A heart transplant is not a one-time expense. It’s easy to think of it as a single event, the surgery, a recovery, and then life returns to normal. But the reality for transplant families is very different. For Evelyn, and for every child waiting for a new heart, the financial journey lasts a lifetime.

Before the transplant, costs include evaluation appointments, testing, travel to different specialty medical centers (in Evelyn’s case, currently the Mayo Clinic in Rochester), lodging, and lost income for care-giving parents who simply cannot be in two places at once.

During the transplant hospitalization, expenses include the surgery itself, intensive care, specialist visits, and weeks or sometimes months of inpatient care. Evelyn has been a fighter through every test, every pacemaker interrogation, every echo. That level of care comes with an enormous price tag.

After the transplant, the costs don’t stop. Heart transplant recipients require anti-rejection medications every single day for the rest of their lives. Without them, the body will reject the new heart. These medications alone can cost thousands of dollars per month. Add to that regular follow-up appointments, lab work, additional hospitalizations if complications arise, and ongoing monitoring, and it becomes clear why organizations like COTA exist.

COTA funds raised in Evelyn’s honor can be used throughout her entire transplant journey, not just right now, but for years to come. Every dollar raised today is a dollar that can help her family focus on what matters most: Evelyn.

Our New Goal: $150,000

Because the need doesn’t end at the operating room, we are setting our sights on our next milestone: $150,000.

We know that’s another big number. But you’ve already shown us what’s possible when a community rallies around a five-year-old girl with a big spirit and a heart that needs a little help. We believe we can do it again.

Evelyn is currently at the Mayo Clinic, waiting. She’s been through more than most adults will ever face, and she is still here, still fighting, still Evelyn.

The least we can do is keep fighting alongside her.

How You Can Help

• Donate here
• Share this page with someone who might want to be part of Evelyn’s story
• Check if your employer offers matching gifts, it could double your impact instantly
• Subscribe for updates (form on the right!), so you never miss a moment of Evelyn’s journey

Thank you for loving our girl. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for being part of Team Evelyn