COTA for Iliana's Hope

Our Story

This is my beautiful daughter Iliana Ruiz. Iliana Ruiz is a 13-year-old girl. Iliana was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension on April 22, 2020, which means that her heart doesn’t function properly. Iliana’s heart is also bigger than it’s supposed to be. Iliana was also diagnosed with high pressure in the lungs. There have been many complications with her health for almost 2 years. Many entries and exits from the hospital. Since that moment there have been multiple studies and many conversations with the doctors about Iliana’s condition – until the topic of the transplant was provided for us in the future. As time went by, there were more visits to the emergency room. We had to be in the hospital for many weeks or days. And the groups of doctors that were working at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital started to talk frequently about the heart and double lung transplant. During the course, it has been very difficult. The relapse of Iliana has been difficult not only for her but for the whole family too. It has been the toughest years my family has been through.

We have lived very difficult moments in our life filled with always being worried about Iliana’s health. It has been almost two years since Iliana had this condition, and in June 2021 they gave us the news that Iliana has been approved for the evaluation in the hospital of Saint Louis Missouri for the heart and double lung transplant. They have done more tests on Iliana that lasted a week; in conclusion the doctors said that she was a good candidate for the transplant. Since that visit, 5 months have passed and we returned back to Missouri in November for the last studies so Iliana can officially be on the transplant list. It has been a long way, but we have been approved for the transplant list. We know it won’t be easy for Iliana or the whole family for what has to come. But the prayers of God and as a family united together we’ll get through this and support Iliana at all times. We thank the team of Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital and the team from Saint Louis Children hospital for always being on the lookout for Iliana and supporting the whole family. We also thank the social worker for contacting us with the nonprofit COTA. Thanks for supporting us with transplant-related expenses and for setting up the website that follows Iliana’s journey. I also wanted to add that Iliana is the strongest person that I know. I am glad that she wakes up every day and continues to fight. The doctors and nurses have been so kind and helpful to me and my family. I’m thankful for the people that are helping our family in so many ways. I’m grateful for the prayers, love, and support. I am so thankful for COTA and all the support they offer. People like that give hope. Please any donations to COTA in honor of Iliana would be greatly appreciated.

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.