COTA for Sam

Our Story

Every year, our family looks forward to spending the summer in Avon, Colorado—fishing the Eagle River, swimming in the cool lake waters, and hiking through aspen groves to reach the summits of America’s great peaks. But the most cherished memories we make in the Rocky Mountains are those shared with friends and loved ones—enjoying laughter-filled meals and late-night games, reminiscing about past adventures, and dreaming about those still to come.

This year, however, our family faces a very different kind of challenge.

Our son, Samuel Yorke, a vibrant 15-year-old who loves playing soccer, creating spray paint art, and experimenting in the kitchen as an aspiring chef, now faces his own mountain to climb. On August 26, 2024, Sam was diagnosed with two aggressive blood cancers: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in critical blast phase and B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

With the expertise of his medical team at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, the love and devotion of our family, and the support of friends and community, Sam has begun the long, difficult journey toward healing. He is showing immense strength and courage as he fights for remission, but he cannot do it alone.

We are asking for your help.

For children like Sam who are battling blood cancers, a cure exists—a blood stem cell donation from a matching donor can save a life. Unfortunately, Sam does not have a full match within our family, so we are turning to the National Marrow Donor Program (formerly Be The Match) in search of a suitable donor.

This is where you come in. You could be the one to save Sam’s life. By joining the blood stem cell donor registry, you might become the life-saving match for Sam or another patient in need. Together, we can help Sam and others like him reach the summit of this enormous challenge.

In addition, we are partnering with the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA), a non-profit organization that supports children and young adults needing life-saving transplants. COTA provides fundraising assistance at no cost to families, and 100% of every contribution made in honor of Sam will go directly toward transplant-related expenses. Donations to COTA are also tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

We invite you to “Summit with Sam.” Your generosity, whether by joining the donor registry, making a financial contribution, or sharing Sam’s story, can make all the difference. Together, we can help ensure a future filled with hope, health, and possibility for Sam and other children fighting these devastating illnesses.

Thank you for your kindness, support, and willingness to help. We deeply appreciate your consideration and hope you will join us on this journey.

With Love and Blessings,

The Yorke Family