Nicholls Education Association of Teachers (NEAT) will sponsor Boolooza, an event to benefit the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) raise for one-year-old Elise Babin, who needs a liver transplant. 

According to COTA, the organization works “with any patient who needs a transplant due to a genetic disease such as Cystic Fibrosis or Sickle Cell Anemia, and all patients 21 and under for any disease complication.” The use of COTA does not cost the family any money, and the funds that are gathered go to transplant-related expenses, Tiffany Papa, assistant professor of teacher education and co-sponsor of NEAT, said.

Papa said the funds raised will go to Elise Babin’s transplant expenses that are not covered by insurance. 

“Elise is my one-year-old niece, and when NEAT found out about her needing the transplant, they decided to do the fundraiser on her behalf,” Papa said. “Elise appreciates the NEAT organization, all of the donations, contributions, and hopefully your attendance at Boolooza will help support her through her life-saving surgery.”

At three months old, Papa said Babin was diagnosed with biliary atresia. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House (NDDIC), “Biliary atresia is a life-threating condition in infants in which the bile ducts inside or outside the liver do not have normal openings.”

“[Elise] is on the list for a transplant and once a match is found they will get a call and within days she can get the life-saving surgery,” Papa said.

The NDDIC states that with biliary atresia, “bile becomes trapped, builds up and damages the liver.  Without treatment, the liver eventually fails and the infant needs a liver transplant to stay alive. This disease affects about one in every 18,000 infants.” 

Boolooza will be held on Oct. 20 from noon to 3 p.m. in the Student Union Cotillion Ballroom and is open to the general public. Papa said there will be music, hot dogs, nachos, sodas, simple games, face painting, candy prizes, a prize drawing, a silent auction, and a kids costume contest.