The Al Copeland Foundation Cancer Patient Assistance Fund is established to support children diagnosed with cancer and their families, with foundational $168,000 donation.

The fund was established following The Al Copeland Foundation’s inaugural SuperDucks campaign, benefitting the pediatric cancer program at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS – In April, Children’s Hospital New Orleans, The Al Copeland Foundation, and its donors celebrated the launch of the Al Copeland Foundation Cancer Patient Assistance Fund at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, with an initial $168,000 gift following the Al Copeland Foundation’s SuperDucks Campaign last fall.

“The Al Copeland Foundation and our community of supporters had the opportunity to do something transformational to help fight childhood cancer in our community with the inaugural SuperDucks Campaign,” said Al Copeland, Jr. “By providing much needed patient financial assistance, the Al Copeland Foundation aims to help keep cancer patients who are enrolled on clinical trials at Children’s Hospital New Orleans receiving the expert care they need, close to home,” said Copeland. “Many patients across our state and region travel to New Orleans for lifesaving care, and many face expenses outside of financial means.”

Through the Vicari Auction in Biloxi, the foundation auctioned off a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 392, along with other events and activities in partnership with Bergeron Automotive, Copeland’s of New Orleans, Searchers 4WD, and Diamonds Direct, collectively raising more than $168,000 to support cancer patients at Children’s Hospital.

The Al Copeland Foundation Cancer Patient Assistance Fund at Children’s Hospital New Orleans was established to help ease the financial burdens facing families of children diagnosed with cancer, with an emphasis on children who are enrolled in a cancer clinical trial.

The fund is used to help families of children with cancer with co-pay assistance, gas cards and transportation assistance to get patients back and forth for treatment, lodging for treatments, meals, grocery assistance, and other necessary items for those who have a financial burden.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generous support of the Al Copeland Foundation,” said Lucio A. Fragoso, President and CEO of Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “By providing financial assistance for patients who are undergoing treatment for cancer, families will be able to focus on the care and treatment of their child instead of the stress associated with financial burdens that many face. This is an important need because more than 84% of Children’s Hospital’s cancer patients travel from outside of the Greater New Orleans area to receive the lifesaving treatments they need at our hospital.”

The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital provides treatment and transplantation for children with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, and other childhood cancers and blood disorders. Children’s Hospital is the only accredited pediatric facility in the state, performing bone marrow transplants and actively conducting cancer research on therapies at the forefront of medicine. The center also has the largest, most experienced group of pediatric cancer specialists in the region, staffed by faculty from LSU Health New Orleans and Tulane Pediatrics.

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About The Al Copeland Foundation

The Al Copeland Foundation supports new local cancer research, education, and patient programs at the Copeland-LSU Health Science Center Partnership in Viruses, Cancer, and Immunotherapy. Established in 2008, the foundation honors Al Copeland, Sr., who died of Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Copeland's final wish was to find a cure for the cancer that ultimately took his life. Proudly, the Al Copeland Foundation has raised more than $2.3 million and connected 1,960 patients to clinical trials, resulting in three completely cancer-free patients to date. The Al Copeland Foundation believes we are on a path to fulfill that wish— to save lives and end cancer. To learn more, visit www.alcopelandfoundation.org, follow us on Facebook @AlCopelandFoundation or Instagram @acfoundation, or contact the foundation at (504) 620-3727.

About Children’s Hospital New Orleans

Children’s Hospital New Orleans is a 263-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, delivered just for children. With more than 600 pediatric providers, Children’s offers a comprehensive array of pediatric healthcare services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, the hospital operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, and Diamondhead, MS. Children’s offers primary care services at 12 convenient locations and remotely via its Virtual Care for Kids program. Children’s is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center, East Jefferson General Hospital, Tulane Medical Center, Lakeview Regional Medical Center, and Tulane Lakeside Hospital. Learn more at chnola.org.