2017 Evan Cotillier

EVAN COTILLIER

Organ and Cornea Donor

Age 16 ~ Cabot, AR

Donated on 10/4/2013

at Arkansas Children’s Hospital

Honored by arora.org

Evan Cotillier was sweet and compassionate. Helping others brought Evan joy. Born in Gary, Indiana, he moved to Arkansas in 2006. No matter where he lived, it made no difference in how many people he inspired. He was always asking someone if they were hungry so he could show off his grilled cheese-making skills, but mostly he wanted to just make someone feel loved. One of those friends shared with his family how Evan changed her life and wrote a beautiful poem in his memory. With Evan’s donation, his legacy of giving was honored with exactly with what Evan would have chosen.

Evan’s Story

Evan Cotillier was born April 25, 1997, in Gary, Indiana, where he spent the first half of his life around many loving family members and friends. As a young child, he was known as everyone’s cuddle bug, because he was so sweet and loved to cuddle. In 2006, he moved to Arkansas. One of the most amazing attributes about Evan was that where he lived made no difference in how many people he inspired. As a small child in Indiana or a teenager in Arkansas, he was always looking for someone who was sad just so he could make them smile, or the next person he could serve.

Evan was known at home as the “grilled cheese expert.” He was always asking someone if they were hungry so he could show off his grilled cheese making skills, but mostly he wanted to just make someone feel loved. Countless friends have shared their testimony of how Evan changed their life just by trying so hard to lift them up in their times of need. One of those friends shared with his family how Evan changed her life and brought her out of a “deep dark place.” After he passed away, she wrote a beautiful poem in his memory.

Many others have described Evan as generous. He was always giving to others which gave him so much joy in return. In the fall of 2013, Cabot High School hosted a blood drive and Evan begged his parents to sign the paperwork so he could donate. He was so excited and so proud to be saving lives and couldn’t wait to get his donor card in the mail. A week later, Evan watched the movie “Seven Pounds” about a man who chose to donate his organs to certain people in need. After watching the movie, Evan was curious as to how he would let people know that he wanted to be an organ donor since he didn’t have a driver’s license. Evan had Epilepsy and knew he would most likely never be able to drive. His parents explained how that would work. So he made his mom pinky promise that she would tell the necessary people if he was ever in that situation. Weeks later, Evan’s family was faced with the decision that no parent wants to make, however, the decision for them was so easy because they knew donation was exactly what Evan would have chosen. Evan had the heart of an angel, and it was given to honor his legacy of giving.