COTA for Mallory H

Our Story

After being born a healthy baby girl on April 24, 2012, Mallory was admitted to the hospital.  She was diagnosed with Myocarditis – there was an infection that attacked her heart.  She fought for 6 weeks and was discharged with a lasting effect on her heart – Dilated Cardiomyopathy.  The hope was that she would recover heart function over time but, after two years Mallory’s heart worsened and she was admitted back into the hospital – listed as a 1A for a heart transplant in October 2014.

After two long months of waiting and having her family separated from one another, a donor heart was found and Mallory received her life saving gift on December 7, 2014.  After 5 days in the hospital, Mallory was home with her family!

This past spring/summer (2023), Mallory’s stomach started hurting and she lost a lot of weight.  While on vacation at the beach, her family noticed an abscess on the side of her abdomen and after many scans and tests it was diagnosed as Lymphoma.  Because of her transplant medications, Mallory is at risk for some types of cancers and about 10% of children will develop PTLD (post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder).

Mallory is now undergoing chemotherapy treatment and is once again fighting for her life!  She will undergo 5 rounds of chemotherapy over the next several months.

For the last 8 years since her heart transplant, Mallory was home with her family living a fulfilled life.  Other than daily medication and sometimes having sickness last a little longer than other kids, Mallory was just like any other 11-year-old!  She loves musical theater, swimming in her pool, spending time with family and traveling! 

Mallory is ready for this fight and has so many prayers being lifted up in her name!  When she found out about her cancer, Mallory said “If I can survive a heart transplant at 2, I can punch cancer in the face now!”

Yes you can and you will Mallory!

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.