Dear friends and family,

In 2014, Derek took on the challenge of competing to be named the 2014 Man of the Year for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Charlotte, North Carolina chapter.  This is an annual philanthropic competition to support blood cancer research.  Many of you very generously and selflessly supported his campaign, which raised more than $175,000, resulting in him winning the title of 2014 Man of the Year.  At the time, that was the highest amount ever raised by any Man and Woman of the Year candidate in North Carolina.  Now that it has been 5 years, Derek and I felt that it was time to publicly renew our commitment to this wonderful organization, which supports LLS research and provides patient services, advocacy, public and professional education and community services.  In addition to the Man and Woman of the Year campaigns that continue annually, LLS has recently added a Students of the Year campaign, which has already kicked off this year.  We are proud and honored to be on the team supporting our dear family friend and tenth grader, Margaret Ann Hidell.

One of the reasons that we continue to support this great cause is because of our personal connection to lymphoma and other blood cancers.  In 2006, while I was pregnant with our first child, I developed alarming symptoms, including coughing up blood.  Our daughter Ava was subsequently born premature but healthy, and through tests and surgery that I underwent immediately after, I was diagnosed with a rare lung disease, pulmonary amyloidosis.  This is caused by an underlying non-Hodgkin’s MALT lymphoma, which is a slow-growing disease.  Through the 12+ years since my initial diagnosis, I have been a patient at the Mayo Clinic and locally in Charlotte and continue to treat my disease through medications, immunotherapy and surgeries.  When I was initially diagnosed, there were very limited treatment options other than debilitating chemotherapy, but through the research directly funded by LLS, I have benefitted from newer immunotherapy drugs that are much more well-tolerated and effective.  

We are incredibly grateful to the LLS organization for their commitment to continue to fight blood cancers.  Our goal is to raise $10,000 for this important cause by the deadline of March 5, 2019.  We would be sincerely and greatly appreciative if you are able to support our Students of the Year team and make a tax deductible donation.

You can donate here or send a check to LLS, 4530 Park Rd. Ste 240, Charlotte, NC 28209 with "Copeland" in the memo line. 

Thank you in advance for your meaningful support!