River Cole

River and his new liver need your help!

River(13 m.o.) was born with a very rare metabolic disorder called Maple Syrup Urine Disease(MSUD). He was diagnosed on his newborn screening and we are so lucky he is still here and with no brain damage! Since he was diagnosed at 6 days old, he has had to be on a very special protein restricted diet, have blood drawn fairly frequently, be seen by metabolic and genetic specialists, and always has been at risk for metabolic crisis which can result in brain swelling, coma, or death.

Despite this lifestyle he has had to live, River is a very bubbly, social, happy little boy! He always did so great with his doctors and even tolerating blood draws well for the most part. He really is a resilient little boy and we are so proud of him and his strength every day. With a liver transplant, River will now be able to eat a mostly unrestricted diet(with the exception of some foods that could interact with his meds) and will no longer be at risk for metabolic crisis.

We are needing your help with transplant related expenses that aren’t covered by River’s insurance, like lodging, transportation, food, etc. We will have to stay local to the Houston, TX area after hospital discharge for at least 30 days and then for up to 3 years we will be going back and forth from Oklahoma to Texas for post transplant appointments. Anything helps!

Family and friends of River Cole are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with transplantation.

River has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the Give button.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!