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.


Regina Bradshaw

Regina Bradshaw Profile Photo Fayetteville, Arkansas


As the first COPD patient advocate and State Captain for Arkansas, I hope to accomplish bringing more awareness to others about COPD. I want others to understand that it not only affects the lungs, but other parts of the body as well. I want others to understand just how important breathing is for those of us that have COPD. I want my elected officials to understand just how important funding is to support research to find a cure.

As a COPD advocate, I have spoken to my family and friends about COPD, have signed up for COPD360social, and have started a COPD fundraising campaign.

As a State Captain, I hope to write about COPD to share my story and help raise awareness, work with state, local, and national officials to improve COPD policy, and raise awareness by participating in health fairs and community events. I would also like to participate and promote research opportunities to help find a cure!

My proudest COPD moment is telling my teenage boys how it affects my body. My youngest son has braces and has chosen to wear the color orange to promote awareness to his classmates.

My inspiration to share is, "Celebrate live" (my husband gave me a bracelet for Christmas with that saying)

Facts about me: I was diagnosed with asthma at a very early age. I have been on a rescue inhaler for more than 25 years. I have also had issues with pleurisy for about 20 years. In 2008, I had my first collapsed lung. I just recently got diagnosed with COPD in June of 2017. Since then, I have looked up information that I didn't know about with COPD. I was diagnosed with emphysema in June of 2017 as well.

 



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!