Hello, my name is Zack Aster. I am 23 years old. I was born in Philadelphia, PA. At 12 years old I was first diagnosed familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP); the diagnoses completely changed my life and caused severe depression. I dream to graduate and go to prom — it happens only 1 time in life, and I did not have the chance to get that. I have a lot of ambitions goals and dreams. My goal is to finish my last year of school so I can go to college and make my dream come true to become a firefighter, nurse or paramedic. I get sick easily because I have a weakened immune system, so I stay home to not get sick. The only joy I have is to play games on my PC.

I had about 5-6 surgeries in my whole life. When my line breaks I have to have tons of needle sticks, and every night with this line in my arm I get blood clots in my arm. I am on this needle called Lovenox; I get it once a day every night. When they inject it in my leg or my arm it burns and it feels like tightening and pain. Ever since I got diagnosed, my TPN keeps me alive, but it’s also affecting my liver at the same time. Because of that, my liver is slowly dying and this is why it’s very urgent for me to get a small bowel transplant. If I wait too much longer my liver will need a transplant, as well.

I am asking for donations to COTA in my honor to assist with transplant-related expenses. I will have lots of travel as will my support team. I will be required to stay in Pittsburgh for approx. 4-6 months to ensure a safe recovery after transplant. In addition to this, I will also have 5 years of follow up appointments with them. I would like to thank my family and whoever helps with donations to COTA.

I am writing all this in the month of November … Christmas is slowly on its way … it would really be the best gift for me to get this transplant. To all of you who help by donating to COTA in my honor or even read what I patiently took my time typing this with love, all of you my angels that watch out for me, I want all of you to feel very special love and needed cause you are all very precious and unique. It’s all the acts of this kindness that restore my faith in humanity. It really means a lot to me. I wish you all a merry Christmas, health, love and luck for all of you and your loved ones. I also wish for a happy, healthy new year.

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.