A New Chapter for Transplant Families

I have some exciting news to share with you, news that has been months in the making and that I believe will open meaningful new doors for every family we serve. 

Transplant Families is uniting with the Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA). 

This was not a decision we made quickly or lightly. Our board and leadership team spent a great deal of time in deliberation, always coming back to the same question: what is best for transplant families? The answer kept pointing us in the same direction. 

Many of you already know COTA. They have been a partner for our entire history, and in 2026 they are celebrating 40 years as The Trusted Leader Supporting Families. By formally joining together, we are taking what has always been a strong partnership and making it something even more powerful. 

Why this, and why now? 

Transplant families know better than anyone that there are really two journeys happening at once. There's the medical journey: the surgeries, the medications, the milestones, the monitoring. And then there's everything else. The financial weight of a lifetime of transplant care. The emotional toll on parents, on siblings, on the whole family. The questions about school and work. The unknowns that stretch out ahead of you. 

COTA has spent four decades walking alongside families to help with the financial realities of transplant life, not just covering expenses, but sharing stories of triumph, making families feel seen, and helping them find their footing. When families feel supported, they can focus on what matters: recovering, reconnecting, learning, and advocating for the next family coming behind them. 

That has always been the heart of what Transplant Families does, too. Now, as one organization, we can walk every part of that journey, starting at day one. 

What this means for you. 

All current programs will continue exactly as they have. In the year ahead, you will see new program opportunities come online as our teams work together to finalize them. Our website will remain active, and you will see our evolution into a seamless part of COTA, while retaining the distinctiveness of what you have come to expect from us. 

I also want to introduce you to COTA's President, Rick Lofgren. Rick and I are both genuinely energized by the work ahead, and we are thrilled to welcome every member of the Transplant Families community into the COTA family. And yes, I have joined the COTA team as well. I am not going anywhere as you will see in my title below. I am just bringing more people with me. 

More voices to be heard. More families to be helped. More assistance to be offered. 

We will continue sharing updates as new programs and opportunities are finalized. In the meantime, I encourage you to visit COTA's website if you are not familiar with their work, and to follow COTA on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn so you do not miss what is coming. 

Please also take a moment to make sure we have your updated email address on file. 

I am stepping into this next chapter with so much hope for what we can do together. Thank you, as always, for being part of this community. 

With hope,  

Melissa McQueen 

Executive Director of Transplant Families Programs