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Bothell baby's heart transplant shows unexpected costs of life-saving surgery

A Bothell baby boy is home recovering after a heart transplant at Seattle Children’s.

Six-month-old Ezra Koenig was born with two heart defects last April. He was quickly put on the transplant list. He had a heart transplant on August 23.

The baby’s parents, Daniel and Laura Koenig, are realizing many of the costs associated with a transplant are not covered by insurance.

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The Koenigs say much of Ezra's medicine is experimental and is not fully covered by insurance.

While insurance covered the transplant costs, which are expected to reach about $500,000, there are uninsured costs that the family was told will reach more than $100,000.

The community is working to help the Koenigs through the Children's Organ Transplant Association.

The money is raised in honor of Ezra. COTA keeps the money and then reimburses the Koenigs for expenses not covered by insurance. The donations are tax deductible, and 100 percent of the money raised will go to Ezra during his lifetime. The family is not taxed on the proceeds.

Ezra's new heart is expected to last 15-20 years.