Meet Your COPD Foundation Captains!

COPD Foundation Captains are volunteers with COPD, caregivers, friends and family members or healthcare providers who use their contacts and talents and partner with the COPD Foundation to serve as state and community leaders.

Captains promote the importance of becoming a part of the COPD community. They work to spread COPD awareness in their state and local areas, mentor fellow COPD community members, and participate in online and in-person grassroots advocacy and community building activities focused on health policy issues that are important to those who have COPD. If you are interested in joining our group of volunteers, click here.

If you'd like to speak with a COPD Foundation Captain directly, please email statecaptains@copdfoundation.org and we will connect you with the Captain in your area of interest.


Susan Estrella-Eades

Susan Estrella-Eades Profile Photo Philadelphia, PA


As a State Captain for Pennsylvania, and as a Nurse Practitioner, I hope to continue community outreach to educate patients with COPD and provide educational and support resources. I would like to be part of the movement to help patients with COPD be self empowered, healthier, and have an increased quality of life.

As a COPD advocate, I started and currently run a Better Breathers COPD Support Group, and help organize a free yearly COPD patient education and advocacy event for patients and their caregivers in Valley Forge and the surrounding areas.

As a State Captain, I am most interested in connecting others in the COPD community to the resources available so they can live healthier, fuller lives, writing about COPD to share my story and help raise awareness, and raising awareness by participating in health fairs and community events.

My proudest moment as a COPD patient advocate and educator is when my support group patients welcome and help educate newcomers to the COPD group or outside of the group. My organization hosted an event last year and several of my support group members attended and were a great educational and support resource to the other patients who attended the event.

My inspiration to share is, “Accept what is, Let go of what was, and have faith in what will be”

 



COPD Foundation State Captain Program Informational Video

The COPD Foundation is looking for new State Captains to join our community to be champions for promoting COPD awareness, improving quality of life for those with COPD, to participate in research opportunities, policy, and much more. Email statecaptains@copdfoundation.org for questions and to start the onboarding process today!