The COPD Patients Leadership Council consists of several representatives from each participating support group.  These groups can range in size from a very small local better-breathers club that meets locally for lunches and to hear speakers, to Internet websites containing large libraries filled with information, and having 50,000 visits or more per month.  Most of these representatives, if not all, are either COPDers themselves, or are caregivers for a COPDer.

The support groups themselves often specialize in certain ways.  The various specialties represented are educational, political, advocacy, support and rehabilitation.

Regardless of their size and specialty, these support groups all have one primary goal in mind - namely to help the COPD patient lead the best possible life.

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With much sadness to report,

Frank Barrett died peacefully at home on Thursday, Nov. 27th at
5:45pm PST. Frank has been on hospice care at home for the past 2
weeks, and had the company of his wife and children during that
time.

Frank has served as Vice President of EFFORTS for almost eight
years, and was hard at work up until November 12th.

Frank's family has stated that "that Frank wished for a quiet, no
fuss Cremation" and therefore there will be no Funeral Home or
Memorial service. His wife Erika said that "if members wish to
send donations in Frank's name to EFFORTS, this would be exactly
what he would want"; he cared deeply for all the Members and knew
just how much EFFORTS has meant in improving the quality of their
lives.