With the cost of a life-saving transplant often exceeding $800,000, most transplant families are unable to shoulder that financial burden. The Children’s Organ Transplant Association is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-related expenses. In Salina, volunteers are raising funds for transplant patients like local child, Hayden Murnahan.

Hayden is the son of Crystal and Steve Murnahan. Born in 2008, Hayden was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease. The transplant team at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, has recommended a life-saving kidney transplant.

Salina volunteers are raising $100,000 for COTA to assist with transplant-related expenses.

Additional volunteers are needed for a community campaign. Individuals and groups interested in more information should contact Community Coordinator Karla Jones at 785.820.7716 or [email protected].

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association helps transplant families avoid financial devastation. Transplant procedure costs range from $100,000 to more than $800,000. Once the transplant is complete, families face significant transplant-related expenses, including medication; transportation to and from the transplant center; lodging; and expenses while parents are out of work and often living with the hospitalized child far from home. These out-of-pocket expenses add up to tens of thousands of dollars annually for transplant families with lifetime totals often exceeding $1,000,000. In cases where a shortfall exists, the Children’s Organ Transplant Association helps bridge the financial gap.

Hayden’s family has asked for assistance from the Children’s Organ Transplant Association. The organization’s priority is to assure that no child or young adult is denied a transplant or excluded from a transplant waiting list due to lack of funds. One hundred percent of all funds raised in honor of patients assist with transplant-related expenses for a patient’s lifetime.

Contributions may be sent to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, 2501 West COTA Drive, Bloomington, Indiana, 47403. Checks should be made payable to COTA, with “In Honor of Hayden M” written on the memo line. Secure credit card gifts are accepted online at www.COTAforHaydenM.com.