Troy Carson Mills is every other 15-year-old boy, loving life in the small town of Nolensville, TN. He loves riding bikes, fishing, playing baseball, and football. He has recently been learning to drive and is excited about the freedom and responsibility that comes along with that. He loves his family and friends and is faithful to his church where he accepted Jesus and was baptized. He loves to draw and study history. He loves to travel and see new places. Troy is wise beyond his years and loves to laugh and make others laugh.
In January 2023, Troy developed symptoms that led to a diagnosis of mono. After weeks and months of not improving, Troy went to the CHIIP Program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt where it was quickly discovered the problems were not stemming from complications from mono, but in fact from his liver.
On April 27th, Troy was admitted to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. After an abundance of labs Troy was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, a condition in which your body attacks your liver. An emergency liver biopsy and bone marrow biopsy were conducted and determined that Troy was not only in liver failure but had significant scarring and cirrhosis that had damaged over 60% of his liver. On May 5th, while in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Troy was placed on the list for a liver transplant.
Troy is likely to remain in Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt until he receives the lifesaving gift of a liver transplant.
While Troy’s family has medical insurance, there will be expenses that insurance will not cover. Troy’s diagnosis and transplant status have put him into a category where he will need medical care, treatment, and prescription medications for the rest of his life. Anti-rejection medicines and constant monitoring are critical parts of ensuring that Troy’s body does not reject the liver transplant.
Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has an amazing team of doctors, nurses, social workers, and child life specialists that have all jumped in to support Troy’s journey. This journey of course focuses on his care first and foremost, but also helps to navigate the back end with insurance companies, and programs that are available to help in life changing situations like this.
Through the transplant team’s coordinator and social worker, we were made aware of the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA).
After much research we realized that COTA is a program where people can contribute to COTA and then COTA will assist Troy with transplant-related expenses for the rest of his life. COTA’s services are free of charge and 100% of ALL donations given to COTA in honor of Troy will go to pay for transplant-related expenses, such as hospital stays, transplant surgery, other surgeries, doctor’s visits, and prescription medications he will need forever.
All proceeds are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law and will go directly to transplant-related expenses.
Troy has been courageous, patient and so brave. Troy is strong in his faith and is “Not Going Alone”. Proverbs 27:17.
We’d be honored to have you join our journey…God bless.
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.