Jocelyn Coppola’s Fight Against Leukemia: Supporting the Tewksbury Redmen in any sporting event is a communal activity ingrained in tradition and history. Relationships formed between athletes and their families during youth and adolescent sports have the potential to last a lifetime.
Beyond the realm of game results, statistics, and trophies, the Redmen family is always willing to assist a fellow athlete in need.
Jocelyn Coppola’s Fight Against Leukemia:
Jocelyn Coppola, a 12-year-old Tewksbury softball athlete, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukaemia just days into her season. With a GoFundMe campaign that has raised nearly $7,000 and an event hosted by the Tewksbury High School softball team, the Redmen are ensuring that Coppola will not have to face the long road ahead alone.
Micayla Hanson and Jacqui Johnson are close family acquaintances, and upon hearing the shocking news, they felt compelled to assist in any way possible. The group of lifelong friends have created a GoFundMe page to assist with cancer treatment costs, and they are also selling bracelets under the name “Jocey’s Posse” to raise money for the cause.
“She told us the diagnosis, and we were like, ‘Okay, we need to do something,’ so we started with bracelets,” Hanson explained. “Many people do not use Venmo, so elder individuals requested GoFundMe. It’s been moving very smoothly.”
Coppola is in her sixth season of softball in Tewksbury, and in her leisure time she enjoys crafting and playing video games. Julia (in fifth grade) and Jack (in first grade) are her junior sisters and brothers. Her parents, Jill Canty and Joe Cappola, are extremely grateful for the swift response of the municipality.
“I am truly rendered dumbfounded. “When she looks at the GoFundMe, she can’t even believe it,” Hanson said of Coppola’s family. “It’s wonderful to see how (supportive) everyone in town is. Some individuals who have never met Jocelyn have been so supportive despite not knowing her. It has been fantastic.”
Coppola has begun chemotherapy and is preparing for the unpleasant side effects of the treatment.
Hanson remarked about Coppola’s fight thus far, “She’s a force.” We are optimistic that she will continue to be a force.
Johnson, like Hanson, believes that the support of the community will encourage Coppola to continue fighting.
Johnson stated, “We just want Jocelyn to know that she has support because it’s difficult for a 12-year-old girl to figure out who they are and where they belong in middle school, and she’s got a long road ahead of her.” This is how quickly her life changed from that of a typical preteen girl to that of a preteen fighting cancer for the next three years.
Coppola has been committed to the Boston Children’s Hospital for a 30-day stay, after which she will be released for weekly therapy. After her release, she will be present for her staff.
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“She hopes that when she returns home, she will be able to sit on a bench and still be a part of the team, the community, and the culture, as well as cheer on her friends,” said Hanson.
The softball enthusiasts of Tewksbury will continue to defend their hero on the pitch until that time. Last weekend, the Tewksbury High School softball team hosted a home run derby to benefit Coppola, which raised over $650.
When Alyssa Adams, a junior, learned that Coppola was ailing, she immediately began to consider how her team could assist.
“My mother sent me a link to her story and suggested that perhaps you guys could do something, to which I replied, ‘Of course,'” Adams recalled. “She is enrolled in our youth programme, and we are also attempting to do more for our youth. It would be great if we donated as a programme and found something to do as a team to bring us closer together.”
Adams knew for a long time that Alumni Field at the Livingston Street Softball Complex was the optimal location for a home run derby because it was shallower than the other fields. Coppola’s team coalesced around her after seeing posters throughout the city advertising their efforts to do so.
Adams said with a chuckle, “We were discussing how all the fields are large except for this one, so we’re assuming everyone will be hitting home runs over there.” “Shall we have a home run derby? And I propose that we do it for Jocelyn. It’s heartwarming for everyone to feel like they did something positive and helped her because it’s a great cause.
The Tewksbury Community
Brittney Kannan, head coach of the varsity high school team, was conducting a practise prior to ‘play day’ when Adams approached her with the proposal.
“During practise, she approached me and asked, ‘Coach, what about a home run derby tomorrow?’ So we ran with that idea,” she said. “All the children were ecstatic. They were texting other teams that were coming to make sure that everyone was aware of the situation.
Kannan realises the hardships that cancer may cause a family and the ways in which others can lend support.
She recalled, “When he was fifteen, my brother was diagnosed with cancer, and I was thirteen.” It meant a great deal to both of us, as he spent a month in the hospital while I was at home. We observed a community-wide endeavour to assist, including donations and volunteer work.
Kannan stated, “It really means something when you’re going through such a difficult time as a family.” It was great to see these kids join together and do something for a girl they may not have known, but who is a member of our group.
Abby Tower led the softball team in home runs, and the group raised $662 in donations. Hanson and Johnson had no notion that their concept for a GoFundMe page and bracelets would be so successful. In Tewksbury, however, this is not particularly startling.
Tewksbury is renowned for its strong sense of community, which has been fostered by all the support they have received, according to Johnson. “They really step up when someone in the community requires assistance. Tewksbury does an excellent job of rallying the community.”
