Volunteer Spotlight: Sixteen-year-old Evan Cotton and his new heart provide comfort

Evan Cotton

The days were long for high-schooler Evan Cotton as he waited in the hospital a year ago for his life to be saved with the gift of a new heart. Then as he healed, Evan waited some more.

“Sometimes I couldn’t leave my floor or even my room,” said the sophomore at Farwell High School, north of Mount Pleasant.

Evan Cotton in the hospitalThank goodness for the kindness of people who sent him Legos and a soft, comforting fleece blanket for his stay at University of Michigan Health, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Evan was born with a condition that prevents normal blood flow through the heart. As his health worsened over time, doctors said only a transplant would save his life.

A year later, the now energetic Evan has big plans to do what he can in return. First up: A multi-part event on April 13 called Evan Cotton’s Operation Giveback.

He’s collecting toys for pediatric patients at Mott and hosting a public blanket-making event in Clare. The blankets will go to grieving donor families, which will fill an important and growing need statewide.

Don’t underestimate the impact of a soft fleece blanket.

“I still have the cat blanket someone gave me,” Evan said. “It was with me the whole time.”

Just like his new heart. He’s grateful for that, too.

“He’s been given a miracle,” said Evan’s mom, Kelly. “I hope as Evan grows older, he continues his connection to Gift of Life and keeps helping where help is needed. We’re all so grateful.”

Evan’s dad, Eric, tells how Evan walked the hospital halls for his post-surgery therapy, stopping in young patients’ rooms to share gift cards he’d been given.

“A lot of people gave me things when I needed them,” Evan said. Planning the big event is keeping him busy filling the needs of others. “I’m excited about this.”

Cathy Warren of the Donate Life Coalition of Michigan
Cathy Warren

“I’m so impressed with the compassion such a young man has,” said Cathy Warren, program director at the تبرع بتحالف الحياة في ميشيغان and a member of the مجلس عائلة ميشيغان المانحين. Both groups support organ donation awareness and donor families.
“Evan’s going big,” she said. “It’s really heartwarming.”


To create comfort blankets for donor families or plan an event, contact Patty Jo Herndon at [email protected] or Gift of Life Michigan at [email protected].

Read more in the LifeLINES newsletter

شارك مع صديق
قراءة المزيد من المشاركات
broken piece of paper

Understanding Brain Death

The concept of brain death can be confusing and difficult to process for loved ones….

اقرأ أكثر
Lisa Haney

Transplant Throwback: Lisa Haney

Name: Lisa Haney  Age: 54  Home: Detroit  Transplant: Heart  Why did you need a transplant…

اقرأ أكثر
Photos of transplant recipients on a mural at Gift of Life Michigan

A message to the donation community

From President and CEO Dorrie Dils Regulations pull donation and transplantation in opposite directions, resulting…

اقرأ أكثر
Gift of Life staff holding their hands in the shape of hearts

Gift of Life’s employee giving hits a new high

Nearly one-third of Gift of Life’s 394 employees gave back financially to the organization last…

اقرأ أكثر
Gift of Life logo on its building

Gift of Life set records in 2024

Thank you to donors who healed lives and residents who registered on their tax forms …

اقرأ أكثر
His time as a nurse assistant at Mott helping pediatric heart patients is a full-circle experience for Tommy.

Tommy Schomaker survives and thrives helping sick kids like him

He graduated this spring with a nursing degree Tommy Schomaker entered the world in 2000…

اقرأ أكثر
انتقل إلى أعلى