The fundraising goal has recently been updated per a conversation between Jude and Lucille’s family and Rick Lofgren, COTA President & CEO. This letter below from Rick explains the recent change:

Greetings from COTA!

I want to congratulate the COTA for Team Ward volunteer team for raising funds for the campaign in honor of Jude and Lucille.

When I set the campaign fundraising goals with all of our families, I try to do so knowing that we want to raise funds for several years, and knowing that many volunteer teams have had more challenges during the pandemic and fundraising these days happens very differently than in the past. With this in mind, for the past 3 years I have suggested goals to COTA parents that I believe is needed for any patient’s long-term expenses and transplant-related costs given the pandemic restrictions on our volunteers and families. 

For example, most of our patients will have $5,000 to $7,500 in annual co-payments, deductibles, and medications, as well as additional costs for an extended in-patient stay, clinic visits and a similar amount for travel to the transplant center. 

In this case I spoke with Josef and Nicole this week and suggested that we raise the goal to better reflect what I believe are the true long-term expenses that a patient will incur in the future for both kids. Because of this, I have increased the goal for the COTA for Team Ward campaign from $75,000 to $120,000 to reflect what I believe will be actual costs going forward for both. 

Please know there are many factors in this and that I bear the responsibility of justifying this to anyone who asks, and am happy to do this as I believe that it is the right thing to do given their current health status.

Thank you for all the work and support you have provided to this point, and please keep the Ward family in your prayers as they continue to wait for a second life-saving transplant.