COTA for Rosalynn

Our Story

ROSALYNN’S STORY: Our Warrior Princess Needs a Liver Transplant

We’re Jamie and Corey, and this is our daughter Rosalynn — six years old, full of curls, and the kind of kid who makes a room brighter just by being in it. She’s smack in the middle of our three kids: big sister to almost-3-year-old Bentley, and little sister to 9-year-old Isabel. She’s earned the nickname “Warrior Princess,” and she’s about to need every bit of that strength.

We never expected to be writing this. But Rosalynn needs a liver transplant, and we’re asking for help to get her there.

How We Found Out:

On Father’s Day 3 years ago, a pillow fight on the bunk beds ended in a fall and a trip to the emergency room. Doctors found a skull fracture and a small brain bleed — frightening, but something we were told would heal on its own within about five weeks.

Then came news we weren’t prepared for. While reviewing Rosalynn’s scans, doctors noticed signs that her liver was cirrhotic. Further testing pointed to the cause: a rare genetic condition called Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Disorder, which had been quietly affecting her liver with no warning signs at all.

Where Things Stand Now:

Rosalynn’s liver is no longer able to keep up on its own. Her medical team at Children’s of Alabama has recommended a transplant, and she is now officially on the waiting list. On July 30th, she woke up in pain and began vomiting blood, and we rushed her to the ER again — a clear sign that her condition is progressing and that this surgery can’t wait much longer.

Like any six-year-old would, Rosalynn has questions. “Will it hurt? Will I have a scar?” The honest answer is yes, to both. We’ve told her she’s strong enough for this, and we believe it.

What’s Ahead:

Once a donor liver becomes available, Rosalynn will have the transplant surgery, followed by months of recovery — first in the hospital in Birmingham, over three hours from our home — before she’s well enough to come back home. She’ll need close medical care for the rest of her life.

How You Can Help:

We have partnered with COTA and are asking for your help raising $250,000 for COTA for Rosalynn to help cover transplant-related costs such as the cost of Rosalynn’s transplant that insurance doesn’t cover, 3-6 months of hospital recovery, travel and lodging so we can be by her side, and a lifetime of medications and doctor visits ahead of her.

A liver transplant and the care around it often cost well over $1,000,000 in total. Insurance usually covers a large share of that, but rarely all of it — families can still be responsible for tens of thousands of dollars a year in medical costs, travel, lodging, and lost income while being away from home. Rosalynn’s post-transplant medications and checkups alone are expected to run about $8,000 a year for the rest of her life.

No gift is too small. Every donation to COTA for Rosalynn brings our Warrior Princess closer to the liver she needs — and closer to just being a kid again.

Thank you for reading Rosalynn’s story, and for anything you’re able to give to COTA for Rosalynn.

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.