Bold. Courageous. Confident. That’s the way the Copeland family has always lived—planning their travels around waterfalls they could rappel down, caves they could crawl through, and zip lining just for the fun of it. Jackson, their adventurous, big-hearted son, was always at the center of the action.

“We’ve done some crazy wild stuff,” says his mother, Claire Copeland. “We planned our vacations all around the boys.” In the process, they made memories to cherish for their sons, Jackson and Caden.

When leukemia took Jackson far too soon, his family found themselves facing a question no parent should ever have to answer: How do you honor a life so full, so fearless, so loved?

Their answer became The Jackson Copeland Foundation—a mission rooted in the extraordinary way Jackson lived.

Born on June 26, 2001, in St. Petersburg to Jeff and Claire, Jackson grew up surrounded by support. He attended Perkins Elementary, where his teachers adored him so deeply that two spoke at his funeral. From there, he moved to Thurgood Marshall and Sanderlin Middle Schools and later graduated from the Finance Academy at Northeast High School in 2019.

Driven and focused, he decided to join the Navy in 2019, passing the Navy physical with ease. He entered the U.S. Navy Reserve as an Intelligence Specialist assigned to CENTCOM at MacDill Air Force Base. He was healthy, active, and thriving, immersed in a tight circle of friends and football weekends—especially his beloved Buccaneers. He ran the family’s fantasy football league, collected Mike Evans memorabilia, and cherished the moment he met the famed wide receiver at the 2017 Pro Bowl. Years later, when the Children’s Dream Fund learned of this connection, they arranged for Jackson to spend time with Mike during training camp where he received additional signed items—gestures that meant so much to this diehard football fan.

Through everything, Jackson and his younger brother, Caden, remained inseparable. They were best friends, travel partners, movie buffs, history lovers, and co-conspirators in all things fun. Claire shared how amazing their family dynamic was, noting that both boys looked forward to movie nights with their parents, while Jeff joked that they also learned a bit of patience, as Jackson—ever the history buff—loved learning and sharing fun facts during frequent movie breaks.

Life was full, steady, and predictable. Until the moment it wasn’t.

In March 2022, Claire noticed something small: Jackson’s lips looked pale. He seemed slightly tired. “Maybe you’re anemic,” she suggested. A simple blood test turned into a phone call from the doctor’s office that changed everything. They told him to come to the hospital immediately—and to bring someone with him.

Jeff and Claire were in San Antonio on business. As they sat on the plane home, taxiing across the Tampa runway, the official diagnosis came through: leukemia.

But not the more common type with a high success rate. Jackson had a type with a much lower survival rate—the kind desperately in need of better treatments and more research.

He was rushed from St. Anthony’s Hospital to Moffitt Cancer Center, where he spent a month undergoing induction chemotherapy. After additional consolidation treatments, he received a bone marrow transplant—a critical step toward survival.

Because Caden was only a 25% match, they turned to the national registry and, incredibly, found an 11/12 matched donor. The transplant took place on July 22nd, 2022, a day known as “Day Zero,” the beginning of a second chance.

Jackson initially responded well. The family moved within a few miles of Moffitt for the mandatory 90-day recovery period—a requirement that places enormous financial and emotional strain on families. Slowly, Jackson regained some strength. They made new memories, attending a Buccaneers game in California and marveling at the snow in Lake Tahoe.

Then, on December 29, 2022, they were told that the leukemia had returned.

From that point forward, the Copelands tried every option available—donor lymphocyte infusions, multiple chemotherapy regimens, constant consultations with Jackson’s doctors, and careful management of serious complications. Traveling long distances became impossible. The risk of infection was too high. Jackson was transfusion dependent, sometimes requiring blood and platelets several times a week just to keep going.

Despite their relentless battle, Jackson passed on May 2, 2024.

Following Jackson’s death, his oncologist at Moffitt, Dr. Rami Komrokji wrote the following in a note to Jackson’s family:

“I have encountered few with his courage, kindness, and manners over more than 20 years of treating leukemia. He put up the strongest fight I can think of dealing with this, inspiring all of us and often giving me the courage to continue. He will always be in our prayers and memory, and he inspires us to keep fighting leukemia.”

Even as his body endured relentless challenges—hearing loss, nerve damage, partial facial paralysis, severe infections, surgeries, and intense fatigue—Jackson never stopped fighting. His parents and brother were with him every moment, steady in their love and support.

Despite the struggles, the Copelands continued finding pockets of joy with Jackson. He loved the Icelandic rock band Kaleo and was disappointed to miss their concert in Orlando shortly after his diagnosis. When they realized Kaleo was returning to the U.S. to play in Nashville, Tennessee the summer of 2023, the family made it a priority to get Jackson up-close tickets. A road trip was coordinated to fit into the six days or so that Jackson was able to go without a blood transfusion.

By the time they arrived in Nashville, it had been a few days since his last transfusion, so Jackson’s mouth and gums were bleeding—a sign of low platelets—and it is not a stretch to say he was risking his life to attend the concert. But at that point, they had all decided it was worth it: What’s the point of living if you can’t see your favorite band perform, right?

They sat in the stadium, incredibly excited to finally enjoy the performance they’d carefully coordinated. As the house lights dimmed and music began playing, they quickly became confused: a different band was opening the show. They hadn’t received any notification of the change in the lineup, and Ticketmaster still had “Kaleo” in its promotions—yet Kaleo wasn’t able to make it.

They left shortly after their discovery—completely deflated, having come all that way, spending the money, and putting Jackson at risk for nothing. They rushed home in a frantic 14-hour drive to get Jackson the blood and platelet transfusions he desperately needed.

After writing to the band and trying to make connections on social media, a fellow Kaleo fan on Reddit shared their story, gifting the family three VIP passes to a later show after Jackson had passed. They were also invited to a small private performance and met the lead singer, who signed the cowboy hat Jackson had purchased for the missed Nashville concert. Although Jackson wasn’t in attendance, the concert brought a bit of healing to their hearts.

With Jackson gone, the family continues to feel the heaviness of the holidays more deeply than ever. They have chosen to escape during Christmas, traveling to Jamaica in 2024, and recently visiting Belize in 2025 to snorkel with nurse sharks, explore ancient ruins, and descend into sacred caves with Mayan ceremonial artifacts still intact—because those are the types of adventures Jackson would have leapt toward without hesitation. The family’s hashtag has become #JacksonWouldGo, and they have created signs for other travelers to bring along with them to emphasize their bold excursions with Jackson in mind.

With leukemia, Jeff says, there is no villain. No cause. No enemy to fight to protect your family. Creating The Jackson Copeland Foundation became their way to direct their grief into something powerful and tangible. Their mission focuses on four major pillars:

1. Blood and Platelet Donation Awareness

Jackson survived more than a year largely because of transfusions. Platelets last only 5–7 days, and he often needed 2–3 bags per day during end-stage leukemia. The shortage is often severe nationwide.
The foundation encourages donors to give blood or platelets and post photos using #JacksonWouldGo. They provide downloadable signs for blood donors to take with them for selfies. It’s simple, direct, and can save a life.

2. Bone Marrow Registry Education

Finding a matched stem cell donor is often the difference between life and death for leukemia patients. Joining the registry requires only a cheek swab, and it is completely free. The Copelands now work to spread awareness and register as many people as possible for the National Marrow Donor Program (nmdp.org).

3. Financial Assistance / Pennies for Jackson

The cost of leukemia treatment is staggering. One insurance gap (because of a clerical error) from Jackson’s Navy Reserve coverage resulted in $251,000 for a single month of outpatient charges alone—not including two years of frequent hospitalizations, medical care, loss of income, travel expenses, and housing near the hospital. Many families face similar hardships with few places to turn. That’s why the foundation aims to ease that burden through financial support and community-based fundraising.

They’ve also “coined” a term for collecting spare change in the local community: Pennies for Jackson. Local businesses such as the Islander Market, schools, churches, and others have volunteered to host a small coin collection box that the foundation provides—an easy way to raise funds and awareness.

4. Community Events and Involvement for Students and Adults

From golf and fishing tournaments to bakery fundraisers and corporate sponsorships, the foundation creates opportunities for people to get involved in meaningful, uplifting ways. They offer help with websites, auctions, and promotional tools to make participation easy. High school students can even create community service projects for Bright Futures scholarships with the assistance of The Jackson Copeland Foundation—changing lives in the process and potentially becoming a match for someone in need of life-saving bone marrow.

Although the Copelands lost their son, their brother, and their adventure companion—the person who brought energy to every room and courage to every challenge—they continue forward with a sense of purpose that honors him at every turn. Their lives are full because Jackson was part of them. He has touched so many lives throughout his life, and now, through his legacy, which is just beginning to gain momentum.

What’s next? The Copelands are currently lobbying on social media for The Jackson Copeland Foundation to be showcased on an NFL player’s cleats next year as part of the NFL's My Cause My Cleats campaign, something Jackson would have loved.

Through The Jackson Copeland Foundation, the Copelands are creating change: one donor, one registrant, one supported family, and one act of awareness at a time.

Because Jackson lived boldly.
Because he loved deeply.
Because he inspired everyone around him.
And through the foundation that carries his name, he still does.

To learn more and make a difference, visit the foundation’s website, jacksoncopeland.org, and follow along on Facebook and Instagram. Why? Because life is too short not to live with impact, purpose, and passion.