COTA for Marshall's Heart

Our Story

UPDATE: Marshall received the precious gift of life on January 20, 2025. This begins his life-long journey as a transplant recipient. Our family is eternally grateful to his donor for their choice to give their beating heart a second chance at life with Mars. <3 Thank you to all COTA supporters for helping these incredible children realize their gifts.

Marshall is our second son. When his older brother Wyatt was 4 years old, Marshall was delivered early with the unexpected fatal diagnosis of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) – He had an incompletely formed 2-chamber heart. After 38 weeks of normal prenatal screenings and all the excitement of welcoming our new baby boy into this world, we were forced to make the unconscionable decision to either let him pass from lack of oxygen or give our precious boy a chance at life with surgical intervention. Guided by the exceptional cardiology team at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, we understood that the series of three planned open heart reconstructive surgeries could give some children twenty years or more to live a relatively (extra)ordinary life. Within his being 24 hours on this earth, Marshall survived the first (the Norwood). At 3 months, after painfully learning how to take a bottle, Marshall recovered from his second surgery (bi-directional Glenns). And at 3 1/2 years, after intensive physical and speech therapy, he strongly walked his way to healing from the third phase of reconstruction (the Fontan). Oh, Glory! Marshall went on his Make-A-Wish trip as a ‘healthy and normal’ 5-year-old. Our boy was thriving in the second grade as an exuberant 8-year-old better than we could have ever hoped when he then contracted Plastic Bronchitis (PB), a rare and life threatening condition that severely compromised the function of his Fontan heart. Attempts to correct the effects of PB with cutting-edge lymphatics evaluation and treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia saved his life, but revealed that Marshall’s mended little heart would not carry him through to adulthood. He is now listed at status 1B to receive a donor heart. We are thankful that, as of now, Marshall is doing well enough to be home while we await the call to tell us he has a match. However, we know that a “normal heart” is not a cure. Transplant is a life-changing treatment, but means that Marshall will be immunocompromised for the rest of his life. Being a transplant recipient requires life-long, frequent, routine medical care. With the help of COTA, we hope to raise much needed funds in honor of Marshall to assist with a lifetime of transplant-related expenses. We don’t know when he will receive the call for a donor match, but we are trying to prepare the best we can and do everything possible for our dear child. It is very hard to see this boy so full of adventure and motivation not be supported by the heart he was born with. Our family is so thankful for everyone who follows Marshall’s story and are incredibly grateful for all who choose to give to his campaign.

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.