A Koncert for a Kause

Local jazz and blues artists are giving a special gift: a Koncert for Kourtney.

Queen's Bee's Art & Cultural Center is hosting a benefit concert on Friday for Kourtney Najjar, an 8-year-old in need of organ donations.

Kourtney suffers from nurogenic pseudo obstruction, commonly known as intestinal failure. She has been in and out of the hospital her whole life, undergoing dozens of surgeries. In 2010, Kourtney received the organs she needed, but shortly afterward, her body severely and acutely rejected them. Since last July, she has been in the UCLA Medical Center, where she has been fed through intravenous tubes.

Now, Kourtney needs a pancreas and a small and a large intestine. The previous operation cost her family more than $1 million, and they will need to pay at least that much again. Because of growing medical costs, however, the family is in dire financial straits.

This is where the benefit concert fits in. To relieve some of the debt, the San Diego Jazz Musicians Guild and Kourt's Krew (the Najjar's nonprofit organization) has organized the Koncert for Kourtney on March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Queen Bee's. A $12 donation will buy you a seat at performances by such jazz and blues bands as Chet and the Committee, Mercedes Moore, Shay La Vie, the Karin Carson Revue, the Blues Wailers and the Cadillac Wreckers.

Donate Life San Diego is co-sponsoring the event in and effort to bring awareness to child and adult organ donation.

Kourt's Krew held a similar fundraising event last year. Four local Chili's restaurants donated 15 percent of their proceeds for a day to Kourtney's cause (check out the story here). Additionally, Kourtney's mother, Laura, published a book called Diagnosing Kourtney. All the book's profits go to help the Najjar family.
 

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