January is National Blood Donor Month

January is National Blood Donor Month:

A Pennsylvania Transplant Family is Celebrating Blood Donors and Organ Donors

January 6, 2025 -- The Children’s Organ Transplant Association is a national nonprofit with a powerful tagline -- The Trusted Leader Supporting Families … For a Lifetime. Founded in 1986, COTA will soon be celebrating four decades of standing by this promise. A Pennsylvania family’s transplant journey, which has significant January milestones, is a living testament to COTA’s lifetime commitment.

January is designated as National Blood Donor Month by The American Red Cross as a way to encourage all of us to donate blood, which is typically in short supply due to the holidays and inclement weather. Each day, the Red Cross must collect 13,000 pints of blood across the country to meet the needs of patients. Blood donors are critical to a transplant family’s journey, like that of the Reeder family. Their daughter, Myka Joy, will celebrate her 10th birthday this month … and the eighth anniversary of her life-saving liver transplant. The Reeders will be forever grateful for her donor angel and the many unknown heroes who donated the blood necessary for their baby’s life-saving transplant surgery.

Richie and Regan Reeder remember the joy they felt upon learning they were pregnant with their second child. As Regan’s pregnancy neared its end, the family of three was anxiously waiting to become a family of four. Myka was born full term via cesarean section in January 2015. Regan remembers Myka’s first few days of life as being great. But on day three, her temperature dropped, she refused to eat and her breathing was labored. Myka was transferred to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh where it was discovered the newborn was in an acidotic coma and fighting for her life. The breast milk she had been given since her birth had become poisonous toxins in her blood. The team of specialists surgically placed a line so dialysis could be performed on Myka’s blood. After two rounds of blood dialysis, the baby started to stabilize.

Over the next several days, Regan and Richie learned Myka had a genetic disorder, Methylmalonic Acidemia (MMA), which meant she was born without an enzyme that breaks down certain amino acids in protein. MMS affects 1 in 80,000 to 100,000 babies; the onset of MMA typically occurs in the first few months of life.

After almost three weeks in the NICU’s most intensive treatment area and placement of a G-tube, the Reeders were able to take their new baby home. They quickly learned the extensive nature of Myka’s medical care regimen. Eventually they discovered Myka Joy’s best chance of long-term survival would be a life-saving, and costly, liver transplant. A new liver would dramatically increase her health, decrease the ammonia in her blood and lessen the severity of MMA by 50-70%. A new liver would also decrease the likelihood of future brain damage, blindness, metabolic comas and other serious complications. While they knew a liver transplant would not be a cure, they decided to pursue a new liver … and hopefully a new life for Myka.

In July 2016, a transplant social worker at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh introduced the Reeders to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) and suggested they consider fundraising for the mounting transplant-related medical costs they were, and would continue to be, facing. Regan called to learn more about how COTA might be able to help.

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 fundraising responsibility 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. Within days of their first call to COTA, they completed and sent their signed agreement to COTA’s headquarters … the Reeder family officially became part of the COTA Family, and Myka Joy became a COTA Kid.

“Our journey with COTA began in 2016 as we sought assistance with fundraising when we learned our daughter needed a costly liver transplant, which she received on January 7, 2017,” Richie said. “Over the course of the past nine years, what started as a helpful partnership with a reputable organization has grown into an ongoing relationship with trusted friends. The wonderful people who work at COTA have truly become an extension of our family as we continue to navigate the ‘roller coaster’ journey of caring for Myka’s transplant.”

He continued, “There are many hopeless days for transplant families. In the midst of dozens of hospitalizations and many surgeries during her transplant journey to date, COTA has continually provided glimmers of hope to our family. Whether it was a call, a text or a financial expense that was eligible for reallocation, each interaction with the team at COTA provides light in the midst of the darkness that creeps into a transplant journey. Even as we navigate life at home and at school post-transplant, by assisting with transplant-related expenses COTA gives us hope on a monthly basis because someone recognizes and acknowledges what we continue to endure … and cares about us.”

Recently the Reeder family experienced a significant transplant milestone when, after several ‘good’ annual follow-up appointments, it was determined Myka could move to quarterly lab draws instead of monthly and could decrease her medications to just three, which can be taken at home in the mornings and evenings. Both Richie and Regan breathed a sigh of relief when they learned Myka would no longer need to have transplant-related medications administered at school.

Richie and Regan continue to be grateful that nearly a decade ago, COTA walked their volunteer team through every step of fundraising for transplant-related expenses, provided great ideas for events and supported them with anything they needed as they were planning fundraisers and raising awareness about the family’s ongoing journey. Their volunteers’ efforts to raise more than $50,000 for COTA in honor of Myka Joy are still making a big difference today.

“COTA is not just a wonderful organization that helps families with transplant-related fundraising, they are a caring group of people who act as an extension of your family. They have always been in our corner, cheering us on throughout our daughter’s transplant journey and helping us to navigate various challenges along the way,” Richie said. “Like a trusted friend that keeps checking in, we know COTA is always available to help us.”

Today, Myka is in third grade. She loves life and loves telling jokes. Myka’s favorite things include doing arts and crafts, painting, riding her bike, singing, playing softball, swimming, going to Pittsburgh Pirates games with her family, playing Barbies with her sister, Alivia, baking in the kitchen with Mom and watching sports with Dad. She is indeed living a normal life while thriving physically, socially and academically.

“We recognize that we are not meant to do life alone and no one should do a transplant journey alone either. Transplant families need to reach out to COTA because the journey is an uphill battle with many, many hard days that should not be faced alone,” Richie explained. “COTA is made up of amazing and kind professionals who want to help you navigate your journey and ease the financial burden whenever possible.”

“Even today, eight years post-transplant, COTA continues to support us and truly cares about Myka and our family. This means the world to us -- not only that we have COTA’s financial support, but their relational support that is built upon a foundation of trust over the years. We could not be more appreciative for the way COTA has faithfully walked with us on this transplant journey … and will continue to do so for a lifetime.”

In addition to their gratitude for COTA, the Reeders are very grateful that Myka is able to dream about her future. She is very interested in all things medical, likely based on all she has experienced in hospital settings. Myka often talks about one day possibly working in the health care field as a nurse or doctor.

Happy 10th Birthday and Happy Transplantaversary, Myka Joy, from your COTA Family! Dream BIG.

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