Message from COTA President Rick Lofgren

Dear Friend,

During the past several weeks, many of us have been attending graduation ceremonies and celebrations … post graduate, college and high school.  My son graduated from high school just a few days ago, so I personally know how joyous (and bittersweet) this time can be for a family.  Through my son’s four-year high school journey, I know how challenging these days have been juggling academic performance, athletics, extracurricular activities, social events, jobs, college visits, and so much more.  And my son is healthy.  Imagine trying to ‘do it all’ and excel while hearing a devastating diagnosis, waiting for an organ to be donated and surviving heart transplant during your senior year of high school.

Giving Hope … Making Miracles.  The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) celebrates all graduates this month – but particularly one young man who has a bright future ahead of him because he has received a second chance at life.  Please allow me to introduce you to a very special high school graduate, Chandler West, and to his COTA Campaign Coordinator, Maureen West.  Recently, Chandler’s Aunt Maureen, sent me the following note:

“It is one year since we started our fundraising campaign through COTA and I can’t believe we have raised over $90,000.  A year ago we struggled to get organized for my nephew, Chandler West’s heart transplant.  We knew we needed money, but we were afraid to ask for it.  Thank God for the team of professionals at COTA.  As a family, we went from being doubters to being so incredibly grateful for this professional and helpful team.  Let’s face it – it’s painful asking for money, but we now know the rewards far outweigh any uncomfortableness.  Chandler went from being a 16-year-old boy waiting all alone for a heart transplant to knowing that there was an army of family, friends and total strangers behind him.  Thank you for helping us put together our army.”

Maureen West, Chandler West’s Aunt and COTA Campaign Coordinator

As I look to the future these words are even more touching knowing Aunt Maureen and Chandler will hopefully be able to celebrate once again when Chandler graduates from college.  COTA is committed to making this journey with each of our families – families who desperately need hope … and who sometimes receive a miracle. 

June is the perfect month to tell you that your ongoing support of our patients, and our work, is literally life-saving for our families, our graduates, and the nearly 1,300 families COTA has helped over the past two decades. 

Thanks for choosing to make the journey with us and with graduates, like Chandler.

Rick Lofgren, CFRE
President
Children’s Organ Transplant Association

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