"She's With Me" Donors Help Critically Ill Children

In the spring of 2009, fans of Collin Raye and Operation Kids joined in a two-month campaign to raise funds for children and families facing extraordinary medical expenses, in conjunction with the release of Collin's new album Never Going Back, which has the song "She's With Me," on it - a tribute to his severely handicapped granddaughter, Haley.

We are pleased to report that four families facing uphill battles in the care of their children were helped through the Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA) as a result of the generous donations received in that campaign. Families were selectected in metro areas that raised the most funds. Here are their stories:

Patrick Hoopes, 11 months:

Funds went to help transplant baby Patrick Hoopes. Born on October 31, 2008, Patrick was diagnosed with Short Gut Syndrome, and doctors at Seattle Children’s Hospital in Washington recommended a life-saving small bowel transplant that would cost more than $70,000. You can monitor Patrick’s progress here.

Elizabeth Loop, 6 Years:

Your donations went toward $65,000 needed to fund a bone marrow transplant for Elizabeth. Born on May 20, 2003, Elizabeth Rose Loop was a healthy, beautiful baby girl. She quickly grew into a delightful little girl spreading laughter everywhere she went with her great sense of humor. Her parents, Shaun and Sarah Loop, were amazed at how smart she was. With very little effort, she learned all of her ABC's by the time she was barely 2. More great times came when she was 4 in the summer of 2007. She joined a ballet class, began learning how to ride a bike, enjoyed playing with her friends, looked forward to hiking, fishing, & camping all summer, and was very excited about beginning kindergarten in the fall. All the “normal” childhood activities came to a halt when she was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, a blood disorder that requires a bone marrow transplant for the patient to survive. Ellie is doing fairly well now. You can see her updates here.

Aidan Good:

Donations went to help pay medical bills for Aidan Good of San Diego, California, who received a life-saving heart transplant on March 3, 2009 at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Aidan is doing well and back home in San Diego after a mild case of rejection that caused him to be re-admitted to UCLA earlier this summer. His family is still working to raise $60,000 to help with expenses. You can monitor Aidan's progress and fundraising updates here.

Sanat Sachdev, 18 months:

Born on February 27, 2008, Sanat was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCIDS), and doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida performed a life-saving stem cell transplant on May 15, 2008. Sanat is doing well post-transplant, and his father is grateful for the support donors and COTA have been able to provide to meet their immediate put-of-pocket expenses. You can follow Sanat's progress and fundraising updates here.
 

Collin Raye, Operation Kids, COTA and the families of these children sincerely thank every donor who contributed to this campaign and made such an impact on so many lives.