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Last updated on Wednesday, November 25, 2015
(BEDFORD) - The family of 4-year-old Cohen Austin received the call they have been waiting on - there was a new heart available.
According to a Facebook post, Cohen came out of surgery this morning and was doing well.
The family received the call Tuesday afternoon that a heart was available and rushed to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.
Chris and Ashley Austin got the news that their son had a rare genetic disorder when Cohen was 2. He suffers from arthrogryposis Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome. The couple with their two other children learned to deal with the troubles and remained positive.
Then one morning in April 2014 they woke to find 4-year-old Cohen's lips and fingertips blue. He was taken to the doctor and tests showed Cohen had an enlarged heart. A pediatric cardiologist at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital told them Cohen has restrictive cardiomyopathy, the rarest of the five types.
The heart transplant costs an estimated $1.6 million. Even with health insurance, families incur high out-of-pocket costs for other expenses related to the transplant.
For that reason, the Austins are working with Children's Organ Transplant Association to help raise money for transplant-related expenses. COTA, based in Bloomington, is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-related expenses. 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 are used for patients' transplant-related expenses.
The goal is to raise $50,000. If you would like to help the Austins by making a financial gift, visit www.COTAforCohenA.com.
Volunteers are needed to assist with fundraising activities that will help with transplant-related expenses.
Individuals and groups interested in more information can contact Community Coordinator Dana Haddan at (812) 508-4805 or haddand@nlcs.k12.in.us.
Donations may be mailed to the Children's Organ Transplant Association, 2501 West COTA Drive, Bloomington, Indiana, 47403. Checks or money orders should be made payable to COTA, with "In Honor of Cohen A." written on the memo line of the check. Secure credit card donations are also accepted online at www.COTAforCohenA.com.
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