We want to thank you all for your support these last few months. We are so incredibly blessed!
We started this fundraising campaign back in March, a week before Jeffreys surgery, under the advice of the transplant team. We were told to raise funds NOW, as COTA can assisit with transplant-related expenses currently, but more importantly COTA will be able to help in the future. Unfortunately the system is such, that after 3 yrs the insurance will no longer cover his anti- rejection meds. We were told that many recipients are going into rejection because they cannot afford to pay for their meds. (They are close to $3000 a month) If you go into rejection insurance will cover dialysis, which is 3x more than the meds. It is a broken system, and heart wrenching to see so many suffering because of it????????
When Jeffrey’s Hero stepped forward to give him the gift of life, we made it our mission to do everything we could to make sure that his “gift” would be taken care of.
“Cota for Team Jeffrey” was created by some pretty amazing women who spent hours planning, and working like crazy to make sure this campaign was sucessful. We are so grateful for: Heather, Ashlee, Calette, Zina, Danielle, Kris, Sharon, Divinia, Maurine and the wonderful ladies at COTA who taught us a thing or two about swallowing our pride and accepting help. We love you all so much and will never forget your kindness and support????
When we talked to transplant, and the reps at COTA, and they said that $40,000 is what we would need to raise in order for Jeff to be ok for a few years, we were in shock. No way are we going to be able to raise that much money (wow did you prove us wrong) and honestly, were really embarrassed to ask. It wasnt until a few weeks after transplant that Jeffrey got sick with a bug that would put the average person down for a day or 2. Transplant patients… this bug has been known to last weeks, sometimes months and put him at risk of rejection. They told us abt a “specialty drug) that has been known to lessen the duration but insurance would not cover it. It was almost $1,200!! ????That is when it hit us how important COTA was going to be for him and his future.
We can’t believe how many stepped forward to offer help, made donations on the cota for Team Jeffrey webpage, or donated items for our different events.
We have raised over $30,000 so far!
We can hardly believe it!????
We started this post with the intent to list each person and company that helped, but there are so, so many that gave generously, and alot that asked to remain anonymous. Where to even begin? So instead we can only hope and pray that each of you that had a hand in making this campaign successful know that your “gift”, whether it be donated items, food, $, or your time, is so, so appreciated and will never be forgotten. We pray that God will bless each one of you????
Derek and Karin
A note from our son….
“Thank you for supporting me, and being there for me, and my family through all my hospital visits and my transplant. And for helping to raise money to pay for my hospital bills and medications. Sometimes its tough, but I am so lucky to know so many people that care. Thank you!!”
-Jeffrey Smith
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