‘Run Your Heart Out’ to help transplant patient McKenzie Young of Rockwall

(ROCKWALL-January 9, 2013) The first annual COTA “Run Your Heart Out” 5K & Fun Run benefiting the Children’s Organ Transplant Association,  in honor of McKenzie Hope Young, will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23 at the east pavilion at Harry Myers Park, Rockwall.

With the cost of a transplant often exceeding $500,000, many transplant families are unable to shoulder the financial burden of such a procedure.  COTA is a national charity dedicated to organizing and guiding communities in raising funds for transplant-related expenses.  An estimated $100,000 is being raised by Rockwall volunteers to help McKenzie.

McKenzie was born May 2, 2012, to Jesse and Mandy Young. At 10 days old, she had to be rushed to the emergency room at Children’s Hospital of Dallas.

“That night was the beginning of a seven week ICU stay which including so many medical procedures trying to save her life that we can’t even recall them all,” McKenzie’s parents explain. “It also came with a simple diagnosis that she has somehow contracted a virus known as the Enterovirus. This virus is as common as the cold unless you catch it before you are 10 days old, and in those cases it can be fatal.  Thank you Jesus, fatal it was not, but it was devastating.”

The “Run Your Heart Out” event website created for McKenzie goes on to explain that the the virus destroyed McKenzie’s heart in a matter of days and left her parents on a roller coaster ride while they waited for the precious gift of a heart.

“We knew how grave her situation was; in fact, the prognosis each day was pretty much summed up after rounds with a simple, almost apologetic refrain of,  ‘she just needs a heart.’  They told us it could be a six to nine month wait – and she received her most amazing gift 18 days later.  She was not even two months old and received a heart transplant and is doing great! She is so strong and was the entire time she was in the ICU.  She never stopped fighting and we know she never will,” they write.

McKenzie’s transplant related costs will continue for the remainder of her life, and her COTA account will be there to help with those expenses.  By joining the “Run Your Heart Out” 5k, participants will be contributing to offset costs for ongoing medications, doctor visits, x-rays, and other necessary tests.

Sponsors are also needed for the event, which will take place eight months to the day that McKenzie received her gift of a new heart. For sponsorship information, email desireedenning@yahoo.com or
indigopeaksphoto@gmail.com or call 517-213-1000.

The race director is Tiffany Portis, t.n.portis@gmail.com.

“Please make plans to be there as we celebrate and support McKenzie, and thank COTA for what they are doing as well,” organizers said.

To learn more about McKenzie and to register, visit runyourheartout5k.com.

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