WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The COPD Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of the JW Walsh Fund to Cure COPD in honor of our late founder and director emeritus, John W. Walsh. John recently passed away on March 7, 2017. The memorial fund was created as a way to honor John’s commitment to the mission of the Foundation which strives to find a cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the third leading cause of death within the United States.
John’s family has requested that donations in his memory be made to the JW Walsh Fund to Cure COPD, which will be administered by the Foundation.
John’s voice changed the way research studies are designed and executed, the way industry views the patient voice, and even changed the way patients are integrated into medical education. John dedicated much of his life to his commitment to speeding the development of new therapies and a cure for COPD. The COPD Foundation remains strongly committed to furthering John’s passion to engage, educate, and empower patients, helping to improve their lives as it searches for a cure.
“As an advocate, as a friend, and as a visionary he was simply indefatigable,” says Craig Kephart, the Foundation’s chief executive officer. “I can think of no better way to honor him and this fund will carry on his legacy.”
John often referred to himself as the “impatient patient”—and his influence on research, care delivery, and community education reflected that ceaseless drive. In 2004, he formed the COPD Foundation. Programs developed under John’s leadership were far-reaching and patient-centered by enhancing research and empowering a vibrant community.
“John’s real legacy is the spark he created in all of us. He led us by example,” says Grace Anne Dorney Koppel, the COPD Foundation’s president. As befits his stature in the global community, John’s memory has been accorded the rare honor of an obituary in The New York Times.
The JW Walsh Fund to Cure COPD ensures that his memory will live on while the Foundation works to accomplish the ultimate goal of finding a cure for COPD.
About the COPD Foundation
The COPD Foundation was established to improve the lives of individuals affected by COPD. For more information about the COPD Foundation please visit www.copdfoundation.org.