April is Donate Life Month: New Heart Means New Life for an Indiana Teen

Описание: April is celebrated nationwide as Donate Life Month, which was instituted by Donate Life America and its partnering organizations in 2003. It features an entire month of local, regional and national activities to help encourage Americans to register as organ and tissue donors … and to celebrate those who have saved lives through the gift of organ and tissue donation.

The Cobb family of Indianapolis will be celebrating the two-year anniversary of their son’s life-saving heart transplant and remembering the selfless act of organ donation that made April 26, 2022, possible. They will also be expressing gratitude for the team of volunteers who came together to make sure this costly surgery and related expenses would not financially cripple their family.

Melissa Cobb describes their son, Cayce, as a fun-loving, energetic, respectful teenager who embraces life and goes full speed ahead with anything he attempts. On March 18th, the Children’s Organ Transplant Association received a COTA Connect referral from a Riley transplant social worker asking COTA’s team to reach out to Melissa — an important call that occurred less than a week later.

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association uniquely understands that parents who care for a child or young adult before, during and after a life-saving transplant have enough to deal with; therefore, COTA’s model shifts the responsibility for fundraising to a team of trained volunteers. COTA is a 501(c)3 charity so all contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and funds are available for a lifetime of transplant-related expenses. On March 29, 2022, Melissa and Brian completed and sent their signed agreement to COTA’s headquarters … the Cobb family officially became part of the COTA Family, and Cayce became a COTA Teen.

“It is hard to think about the financial part of a life-saving transplant when things are happening so quickly,” Melissa said. “But reviewing COTA’s materials and learning their support would span Cayce’s lifetime was the reason we signed the agreement. We were well aware of the potential financial hardship associated with his diagnosis. Although we had good health insurance, we really needed the peace of mind that working with COTA would provide right now … and well into the future.”

On April 26th, Cayce received his new heart and a second chance at life. This was exactly six weeks after his LVAD surgery, which was his bridge to transplant. While Cayce’s journey to transplant was shorter than most, it did not lessen the impact of transplant-related expenses, which will be with him for his lifetime.

The COTA for Cayces Heart team of volunteers used social media to share videos and updates about Cayce’s journey. In a matter of months, the team raised more than $50,000 to assist with transplant-related expenses.

Just two weeks after the transplant, Cayce was released and went home to stay. In early June, his sister, Aniyah, graduated from high school and the family held her celebration outside. It was nothing short of a miracle Cayce was able to be part of the celebration by keeping distance between himself and the guests. That summer, the Cobb family was happy to be home and finding their new normal, which included lots of bike rides, walks and enjoying family time. On June 20, 2022, after a long absence Melissa was able to return to work.

On August 6th, the family moved Aniyah to college and just three months after receiving his new heart, Cayce was able to return to a rigorous marching band season — his alto saxophone firmly in his grasp. Life milestones continued for Cayce including turning 16 on October 17, 2022, and on November 12th, marching in the Bands of America Grand Nationals where Cayce’s high school marching placed seventh in the country.

This April, Cayce will be doing all of the things he loves including playing basketball, playing video games, watching sports and going out to eat as a family. He will also be working on college plans and applications. Cayce’s goal is to study engineering and math. Melissa and Brian will be excited to see how Cayce’s future unfold with his new heart … and with the knowledge that transplant-related expenses will not be a deterrent as he lives life to the fullest and pursues his dreams.

Also, this April, they will take a moment to remember the family who made the decision at a traumatic time in their lives to donate the heart that is beating in Cayce’s chest and allowing him to keep marching and dreaming.

Nationwide, April is the month that is dedicated to raising awareness about the need for registered organ and tissue donors. Many COTA families are waiting for life-saving transplants like Cayce received. You can visit www.RegisterMe.org to indicate your wish to be a life-saving donor. Every day 17 people die waiting for an organ transplant here in the United States. One organ donor can save eight lives.