Khristian is a kind, adventurous 11-year-old boy, and although Khristian is not yet 12 years old, he is once again waiting for a heart transplant. He was just 2 years old when we learned he had a genetic heart disease, and at age 3, he received his first heart—a miracle that has given us 8½ precious years we will always be grateful for. Now his body has begun to reject that heart, causing irreversible damage, and we find ourselves praying for another miracle. His sister, Kemarah, bravely fought the same disease and received a heart transplant in 2013, but her little body continued to struggle, and we lost her in 2014 when she was only 6 years old. This is the third time our family has walked the transplant journey with one of our children, and it is a road filled with fear, faith, hope, and deep love.

We’ve partnered with the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) to help with the overwhelming costs of transplant, because we know firsthand that a transplant is not a cure—it is a lifelong journey of medications, risks, and medical care. What brings us comfort is knowing that every dollar raised for COTA for Khristian will stay with him for the rest of his life, even into adulthood when he may no longer have our insurance but will still need extensive care. COTA will always be there for him, and that means everything to us.

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.