On a beautiful day in August a handsome loving baby boy was born. He was named Tamir Murphy. The youngest of 3, Tamir was blessed into a loving home with a supportive family. Tamir was born at 34 weeks and was met with the struggles of life on day 1. Doctors couldn’t provide his family with a diagnosis initially so they did what they could to help him. Tamir doesn’t have the ability to crawl, stand, walk, talk or eat by mouth; he has had to eat using a feeding tube attached to his stomach since 5 months old. At his birth they also detected a heart murmur; now at 2 years old Tamir is in need of a heart transplant. Even though the odds are stacked against little Tamir he is strong and a fighter.

Currently Tamir is confined to Lurie Children’s Hospital where he waits and fights. Since at Lurie, Tamir has received an official diagnosis of Coffin Lowry Syndrome, a physical and mental developmental disease; cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart which makes it hard for the heart to deliver blood to the body; and Pierre Robin Syndrome, which is a rare defect characterized by an underdeveloped jaw. And on one side of his heart walls have thickened and he needed intervention. He now uses a VAD Machine which helps him to pump blood to and throughout the heart and body.

He is small, but we know with a new heart he can grow strong and big. We all pray that those with a heart use it and help a child in need of one during our family’s rough time. This will be Tamir’s first Christmas not home and with your help it won’t be his last. Please consider donating to COTA in honor of Tamir to assist with transplant-related expenses. God Bless you all.

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.