March 2, 2026 – The first successful liver transplant was performed 63 years ago on March 1, 1963, by Dr. Thomas E. Starzl at the Medical College of Virgina. Nearly 12,500 liver transplants were performed in the United Sates in 2025 … many of them enhancing the lives of children born with liver disease.
The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) was founded in April 1986 when an Indiana family could not afford the liver transplant their toddler son needed to survive. Their family members and friends canvassed neighborhoods and county fairs to collect cash and coins to help. That first group of volunteers formed the foundation of what would grow to become COTA.
Leah and Kevin were filled with joy on the October day Claire was born, but the very next day they learned she had a rare liver disease. The baby was diagnosed with biliary atresia, which is caused a blockage in the tubes (ducts) that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder which affects 1 in every 12,000 newborns. Only a few decades ago, babies died from this diagnosis.
Twenty-five years later in October 2011, a family in Ohio heard the same devastating news — their one-day old daughter needed a liver transplant to survive. Leah and Kevin Kaufman were first-time parents and their daughter, Claire, had just been born. Their world turned upside down in a matter of 24 hours. This family’s transplant journey, which continues today, is a living testament to COTA’s lifetime commitment … a commitment that now spans four decades of helping families during some of the most difficult times in their lives.
Once they learned of their newborn’s diagnosis, Kevin and Leah spent the rest of 2011 and all of 2012 juggling numerous doctors’ visits, transplant team meetings, blood draws, feeding therapy meetings and much more. At the time, these young parents were overwhelmed, but tried to remain hopeful. They were determined to find the best medical care for their tiny baby. The young couple also knew they were going to need lots of help — specifically with the mounting medical bills and seemingly endless expenses.
A transplant social worker at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center introduced them to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) and suggested they reach out. In July 2012 they did just that. Within a week, the Kaufmans became part of the COTA Family.
“In the midst of so much information and fear, I remember exactly when the social worker told us about COTA,” Leah said. “We had no idea something like COTA even existed. An organization that would be able to help with the immense costs we would be facing. With everything we were hearing, learning and trying to understand, our first call after that meeting was to COTA. The team member we spoke to gave us hope. She said neither of us could be in charge of fundraising because we had too much on our plates. She said once we identified our key volunteers, COTA would come to our town and train them. And then we could submit transplant-related expenses for reimbursement. It was unbelievable.”
At the end of the COTA training, both Kevin and Leah knew COTA was the best choice for their family.
Grandma Diane Kaufman recruited an incredible team of volunteers in their Ohio hometown, and they quickly got to work raising funds for COTA to assist with transplant-related expenses. Still today, she loves to talk about the outpouring of love and support that was part of each successful COTA for Claire K fundraiser they organized. One of Diane’s favorite COTA fundraisers was held at Young’s Dairy, a tourist stop in the area that welcomes nearly a million visitors each year. She said ‘tons of people’ came that day and at the end of the evening, the owner gave all of the proceeds to COTA for Claire K – not just the percentage of the proceeds they had committed to when they agreed to host a fundraiser. Leah remembers other COTA families from the area who they met because of Young’s ongoing generosity and who introduced themselves to the Kaufmans. She said this was yet another unbelievable COTA experience for their family.
On New Year’s Day 2013, Leah and Kevin got the call that a liver match had been found; 14-month old Claire received her new liver the next day in Cincinnati. When they were finally able to exhale after her transplant, they could better grasp the profound impact of knowing the COTA for Claire K volunteer team had surpassed the $50,000 goal. To this day, Grandma Diane continues to be proud this was accomplished in one year’s time in a town with a population of 3,000.
Several years later, the Kaufmans and Diane were invited to speak at a COTA event. Kevin said, “I remember standing up in front of this gathering of people and saying, ‘COTA allows transplant parents, like us, to focus solely on their child. Leah and I were given the gift of concentrating on Claire’s transplant journey and not on the endless bills. When you go to your mailbox and every day find one or more bills, it is overwhelming. I hope you all know the lifesaver that COTA is to families like ours.”
“While we were in Cincinnati with our little girl neither of us was working so neither of us was receiving a paycheck. We had no household income at that time, but the bills never stopped. Like our mortgage payment, the cell phone bills and the utilities … all of those expenses were still there. It did not matter that we were unable to work and therefore unable to generate income to pay our bills,” Kevin added.
Kevin and Leah are grateful that neither lost their job during Claire’s transplant and recovery. Still today, they are also thankful they were able to avoid massive debt related to the transplant itself and to all of the medical care since her 2013 transplant. “We had no idea when we heard the news about our baby needing a liver transplant a group like COTA existed that could help with the immense costs we assumed we would be facing. At our first COTA for Claire K fundraiser, a COTA family showed up and introduced themselves to us. It was an unexpected gift – like the calm before a storm. They simply wanted to talk to us and reassure us things would eventually be OK; we are still in touch with this family all these years later.”
Today, Claire is 14 years old. She is thriving. The Kaufmans are now a family of five. Claire struggles with illnesses like the flu and gets sick more often than her siblings. She typically misses a week to a week and a half of school each time she catches a bug, but her schoolwork is sent home. Leah and Kevin are proud she works hard to stay on top of her assignments and not fall behind.
“Typically, when Claire gets the flu, it requires a trip to Cincinnati for medications, lab work and a liver assessment,” Leah said. “We are grateful all of these are transplant-related expenses that are eligible for COTA reimbursement. Gas, parking, lodging and food add up quickly for our family. It is such a relief that COTA is always there for us … always ready to help … always making Claire’s transplant journey smoother.”
Leah and Kevin shared a specific memory when Claire developed a serious case of the flu. They called their transplant team and were told to get to Cincinnati as soon as possible. While packing to get on the road, Leah called the Ronald McDonald House where the family typically stays for her visits, but learned it was at capacity. Not sure what to do, they called COTA to see if anyone could help because they needed to get on the road. Kevin said, “I will never forget the COTA team member, who without taking a breath, said ‘Of course we can help. Please get on the road and we will take care of this.’ When we got to Cincinnati, there was a room reserved at one of the hotels on the medical campus and COTA had already covered the bill. This was another huge gift for our family.”
He continued, “Claire needs a healthy liver to live life to the fullest. For Claire to get the medical attention she requires now and into the future, we need COTA.”
Kevin and Leah have good medical insurance with coverage for pediatric transplants, which has been a blessing for more than a decade. They said it is a solid policy, but the average person does not understand all of the other expenses not covered by insurance that add up quickly. Over the nearly 15 years they have been travelling this journey with Claire, family meals at restaurants … lodging … mileage and gas … parking … all of these transplant-related expenses would have been crippling without COTA.
“We had a big COTA ‘aha’ moment when Leah was two months post-transplant. The bills were rapidly rolling in and we were all still inpatient. COTA literally took care of us. COTA did exactly what they said they would do. Our call for a new liver literally came out of the blue. COTA stepped up and stepped in. It was amazing to see COTA in action at that moment … and in so many moments since then,” said Kevin.
“Because of COTA, we have had no worries about finances … none,” he added.
Leah explained, “One month of Claire’s transplant medications she takes today costs $250 for her portion of the bill. It is huge for our family that we do not have to pay that $250 each month from our household budget. That is a week’s worth of groceries for our family. We are a family of five that is making ends meet because of COTA.”
Kevin added, “Over the years, COTA has put my ‘father fears’ to rest. I do not have to figure out how to work 60 hours this week, instead of my typical 40, to be able to afford Claire’s medications and our groceries. Leah and I both work and it takes both of our salaries just to raise our family. I cannot imagine what we would do if we had to find funds somewhere – likely take on additional jobs – to keep Claire’s liver healthy and functioning.”
“When I talk to a new transplant family and share Claire’s journey, specific information about how COTA helps is a big part of our story,” he said. “We were young parents when we heard Claire needed a liver. And I still remember the ‘what ifs’ that were running through my mind that day. I could not get them to stop.”
“Then the transplant social worker told us about COTA and we could finally breathe and start thinking about a future for Claire … and for our family.”
COTA’s unwavering commitment … a Lifetime of Support … is important to Kevin and Leah. Not only have they had to navigate the uncertainty of Claire’s diagnosis, but they also have to manage the financial uncertainties associated with a medically intensive journey. Becoming part of COTA eased many of their fears then, and today, it continues to be a comfort – and will be for a lifetime,
Throughout 2026, the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) is celebrating 40 years of its commitment to being “The Trusted Leader Supporting Families … For a Lifetime.” COTA is also celebrating four Decades of Donors — those who make the selfless decision to become organ and tissue donors and financial contributors who have helped raised more than $160 million for transplant-related expenses. COTA was founded by one Indiana family in 1986. Today, thousands of transplant families, like the Kaufmans, rely on COTA’s guidance and support, which is provided at no cost.
