Family Spotlight

The Best Holiday Gift

Two years ago, Robert and Ana Anselmo received a precious gift. After waiting 13 years to have a child, beautiful baby Savannah was born on December 5, 2006. However, joy turned to devastation when at the age of four months, Savannah was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a deadly disease that attacks the liver. Her only hope was a liver transplant.

“Once we heard the news, we had no idea of the journey ahead of us, or that we would watch Savannah’s condition deteriorate as we waited for a donor,” said Robert Anselmo of Riverview, Florida. “We had no idea of the costs, both financially and emotionally, we would face. We had no idea on any given day there are 100,000 people on the nation’s organ donor waiting list. We had no idea one in three of these people die while waiting. We had no idea our daughter would get so sick that we would have to drop out of our lives, placing our jobs in jeopardy because we were at our baby’s hospital bedside 24/7.”

The Anselmos needed help. Even though the family had health insurance coverage, they were quickly informed that regardless of how ‘good’ their insurance was, they were facing a huge financial burden -- in addition to the pain and sorrow they were already facing on a daily basis. In the midst of this devastation, the Anselmos heard about the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA).

“With the amazing assistance that COTA provided, we were able to pull together a group of friends and family who came together to raise funds for Savannah’s transplant-related expenses, and to raise awareness of the transplant journey our family was facing,” said Robert. Almost immediately, Robert and Ana became regular contributors to Savannah’s website journal at www.COTAforSavannahA.com, and just as quickly, bloggers from around the globe got online and started reading, and responding to, this family’s riveting words of frustration, pain, gratitude and hope.

After eight months of waiting, the Anselmos received ‘the call’: a match had been found.
On December 29, 2007, just days after her first birthday, Savannah received the ultimate gift ... a second chance at life.

According to Robert and Ana, “On December 29th, Savannah’s donor angel and donor family gave Savannah something that we couldn’t. Savannah is with us today, getting ready to celebrate her second Christmas in grand style, because of this selfless gift. Savannah has become our ‘Warrior Princess’ because of the strength she has shown to so many. Our donor family’s decision gave us the gift of being able to watch our little girl grow stronger in body and spirit each day.”

Even though this holiday season marks Savannah’s one-year transplant anniversary, the COTA team is still actively fundraising. Robert and Ana are keenly aware that Savannah’s liver transplant was not a ‘cure’, but instead a chance for the toddler to live, to love and to continue to fight.

“The possibility that Savannah will reject her liver is something she will face, and we will fear, for the rest of her life,” Ana said. “Savannah will always require specialized medical care because of her medications and immune-suppressed state, and she will always require follow-up care from her transplant team at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, even though we live in Florida.”

The Anselmos are getting ready for the holidays. They are grateful for the ongoing support their COTA team continues to provide; they are grateful for their COTA website Journal readers and Guestbook visitors; and mostly, they are grateful for the selfless gift an anonymous family gave them last Christmas.

According to Robert and Ana, “On December 5, 2006, we gave birth to the most beautiful little girl in the world and our hearts were filled with joy. Four months later we heard the words ‘biliary atresia’ and our hearts dropped. A few days later we heard the words, ‘Your daughter needs a liver transplant’ and our hearts stopped. On December 29, 2007, our daughter was reborn through the miracle of an organ transplant … and on this day our hearts began to beat again.”

The Ultimate Gift ... Responding With Gratitude
By Robert and Ana Anselmo

How do you express your gratitude to all of the people who faithfully kept your daughter in their prayers? How do we thank all the people who baked cookies, drove motorcycles and swam laps in honor of Savannah to raise funds to help families with their transplant-related expenses? How do parents show appreciation to the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, secretaries, janitors, and all other hospital personnel who were part of saving your daughter’s life?

But most of all how do you say thanks to the family who made the selfless decision to save your daughter’s life?

The fact is that without the selfless gift of an organ donation, our daughter Savannah would not be here today. We would not have had all of the pleasures the past year brought us. We would not have the memories of her first steps taken soon after her transplant and of her learning how to eat solid foods and saying “yum, yum” after every bite. We would not have the memories of the most beautiful giggles in the world as she chases the waves at the beach, nor the memories of the most beautiful temper tantrums thrown just like every other “healthy” toddler. We would not have the memories of her grandmother’s face when she opened the door to see her granddaughter dressed in a pink tutu, surprising her on her 65th birthday. We would not have the memories of our Warrior Princess dancing madly and running to give us hugs and kisses. We would have neither the memories from this year, nor the possibilities of the memories we could make tomorrow.

Without our donor angel’s family setting aside their profound grief to make the selfless decision to save the lives of other children they had never met, our little Warrior Princess would not have lived to see her second birthday.

Not one day goes by … not one moment goes by … that we are not grateful for the gift
of life given to us. Not one day goes by that we do not think of our donor angel. Not one day goes by that we do not try to honor the gift we have been given through the raising
of our daughter.

On December 5, 2006, we gave birth to the most beautiful little girl in the world and our hearts were filled with joy. Four months later we heard the words “Biliary Atresia” and our hearts dropped. A few days later we heard the words, “Your daughter needs a liver transplant” and our hearts stopped. On December 29, 2007, our daughter was reborn through the miracle of an organ transplant ... on this day our hearts began to beat again.

Please visit www.COTAforSavannahA.com and leave the Anselmos your own
message of encouragement, or make a donation to help with Savannah’s ongoing transplant-related expenses.

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Giving Options

Limit What You Owe at Tax Time

Believe it or not, by making a donation to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) before December 31st, you can decrease the amount Uncle Sam will get from you next April 15th. Regardless of what type of gift you give, donating before the end of the year qualifies you for a charitable deduction -- if you itemize your deductions when filing your taxes.

How You Can Help
When deciding what type of gift to give, feel free to contact Children's Organ Transplant Association to learn more about how you can help us give hope and make miracles for children and young adults who need a second chance at life. If you prefer, COTA also welcomes unrestricted gifts, which allow us to designate your funds to meet our most pressing needs.

Ways to Give
You always have the option of giving cash or writing a check, but you may also use your credit card. You will receive a deduction in the year you charge your gift -- rather than when you pay the credit card company.

You may also consider gifts of appreciated stock and real estate you have owned longer than one year. These types of gifts avoid capital gains taxes, and you can usually deduct the fully appreciated value of the gift for income tax purposes. But unlike writing a check, these gifts take more time to complete. Be sure to plan ahead if you want to take a deduction for the current tax year.

Please contact Rick Lofgren at 800.366.2682, or email him at , for sample bequest language, or with any questions you may have.

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Ways You Can Help

25 Reasons to Give

The premise is simple. Just have each member of your COTA patient volunteer team ask 25 people for one dollar. Collect the money. Turn it in. That's it.

The twist that makes it even easier is the cute sayings on the worksheet you should use to solicit the one-dollar donations. Who could resist:

• I can't say no to a friend.
• Well, since it's you.
• Don't leave me out.
• What a great cause.

That's just a sample of the great sayings that can be used to motivate friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers and event attendees to help raise money in honor of your COTA patient.

“Can You Spare a Dollar?” Worksheet

Can You Spare a Dollar?

The (Name of Your Group Here) is having a dollar fundraiser.

We need your help to (reason for the fundraiser).

Would you please help and sign any line for a dollar?

1. I will start you off. ______________________________________________
2. I’m happy to give you a dollar. ____________________________________
3. A dollar won’t break me. _________________________________________
4. A dollar is not very much. ________________________________________
5. I just can’t say no. _____________________________________________
6. Well, since it’s you. _____________________________________________
7. What’s a dollar between friends? __________________________________
8. I’ll gladly give you a dollar! _______________________________________
9. My dollar is for a good cause. _____________________________________
10. My dollar helps reach the goal. ____________________________________
11. I wish I could give more. _________________________________________
12. What’s one less in my wallet? _____________________________________
13. Count on me for a dollar! ________________________________________
14. Sure, I’ll give you a dollar! _______________________________________
15. I’m always glad to help. _________________________________________
16. I can’t say no to a friend. ________________________________________
17. A dollar from me to you! _________________________________________
18. Don’t leave me out! ____________________________________________
19. I can’t spend more than $1.00. ___________________________________
20. I borrowed this for a good cause! _________________________________
21. One more for you! _____________________________________________
22. Will $1.00 help? _______________________________________________
23. I'm happy to give a buck! _______________________________________
24. Add this to your pile! ___________________________________________
25. Congratulations, you are #25! ___________________________________

Thank you for your support!

Name: ______________________________________________

Money is due: ________________________________________

Please turn in to: _____________________________________

Getting Organized. This fundraiser is great for all sorts of fundraising situations. It is a perfect ending to staff meeting, or a club meeting, as individuals are getting ready to leave. Introduce the concept, ask for your colleagues support, and suggest they take a worksheet and start asking for dollars right away. You will be surprised at how quickly these dollars will add up. Here are just a few steps you will need to take to ensure a successful outcome to your “Can You Spare a Dollar?” Fundraiser:

• Set a dollar goal for the fundraiser. It's important for your group to know how much money they are trying to raise individually and collectively. Communicate this before, during, and after the fundraiser to keep motivation strong.
• Set a time period for the fundraiser. If you are sending the worksheet home following a meeting, ask for it returned to a contact person within a week. You may also wish to incorporate this fundraiser into an event your group may already be hosting.
• Encourage donations of more than a dollar. It’s OK if a participant wants to write a check for the whole amount of the worksheet or if someone wants to give $5 in response to your request for a dollar.
• Reward everyone who turns in money and a worksheet, even one that is not completed. You may even wish to offer a prize to the person who is first to turn in his/her proceeds or to the person who collects the largest amount of donations.
• Once the fundraiser is completed, mail a check made payable to COTA from yourself, your club, organization or business to:

Children’s Organ Transplant Association
2501 West COTA Drive
Bloomington, Indiana 47403

Or deposit the cash collected in a COTA bank account:

• Chase Brand/Bank One System
  RE: COTA Miracle Makers
  Account Number: 2730782808
• Bank of America
  RE: COTA Miracle Makers
  Account Number: 229008209370
• Wachovia Bank
  RE: COTA Miracle Makers
  Account Number: 3000025117027
• Wells Fargo Bank
  RE: COTA Miracle Makers
  Account Number: 9421478588

Remember ... Everyone is a winner in this thought-provoking exercise of fundraising questions ... every dollar donated is helping to provide hope and make miracles for COTA’s patients.

The “Can You Spare a Dollar?” worksheet and concept is used with permission from the Fundraising for Small Groups newsletter written by Deane Brengle.

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COTA News

$75,000 Donation Kicks Off Holiday Giving Season for COTA

Over the past few weeks, the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) has received several large grants and donations totaling nearly $250,000 -- including a $75,000 anonymous donation from an organization that supports COTA’s commitment to give transplant-needy children a second chance at life. These generous gifts signal the start of the ‘Holiday Giving Season’ for COTA’s children and young adults who are hoping this holiday season brings them a miracle.

According to the anonymous donor organization, “We feel strongly about the kind of support COTA provides, and we are very thankful there are organizations like COTA out there to help transplant families.”

“We are truly grateful for this generous donation, as well as others we have recently received in the form of several large gifts and grants," said Rick Lofgren, President of COTA. "Specifically, the $75,000 donation will be used to benefit our patient programs, which assist children who have urgent transplant and post-transplant care needs, and who now may receive a second chance at life. This gift will make an incredible difference in our efforts to assist patients."

In addition to the anonymous $75,000 donation, COTA has also recently received a
$50,000 anonymous gift from a family, a $40,000 grant from The American Legion’s Child Welfare Foundation, a $24,000 donation from the Wauwatosa Rotary Club Foundation, a $20,000 gift from the Dr. Solomon and Sarah Goldberg Fund, and $10,000 from the Operation Kids Foundation.

Nearly 80 patients were successfully transplanted during COTA’s 2008 fiscal year that ended June 30th. That brings the total number of COTA patients transplanted to more than 890 in the 23 years COTA has served transplant-needy families.

“Giving Hope ... Making Miracles is more than a slogan for the Children’s Organ Transplant Association -- it is a guiding vision,” said Lofgren. “I hope these gifts are just the beginning of holiday donations we will receive during the upcoming weeks.”

If you would like to help COTA give hope and make miracles this holiday season, please contact Rick Lofgren at 800.366.2682 or

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COTA Fast Fact

The Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA) provides:
Services at No Cost and a Challenge Grant Program
The Children's Organ Transplant Association does not charge for its services -- 100% of funds raised are available for transplant-related expenses. Every fundraising campaign is eligible for up to $10,000 in challenge grant funds in the first year of fundraising. All funds raised in honor of patients are always used for patients’ transplant-related expenses.

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