14th Annual Super Cooper 5K Scheduled for March 28th

Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC), leading edge healthcare organization, is proud to continue our partnership with the Cooper Life Fund to benefit our community. Over the last 13 years, The Cooper Life Fund has donated over $169,000 to the TGMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) through the generous support of our community. This year the 14th Annual Super Cooper 5K and one mile fun run is scheduled for March 28, 2020 at Pinocchio’s Pizza Playhouse on Prevost Drive in Houma. The event is hosted by John and Ashley Fontenot of the Cooper Life Fund and raises money for families of newborn infants born with serious medical conditions and admitted to TGMC's Level III NICU.

TGMC is proud to partner with the Super Cooper 5K race as it encourages the community to focus on their health by leading an active lifestyle. From walkers to runners, the Super Cooper fun run and 5K accommodates all ages and fitness levels.

All proceeds from the Super Cooper 5K are donated to The Foundation for TGMC to provide medical and social care needs for the families of infants admitted to the TGMC NICU with serious medical conditions. The fund provides families with a care package filled with necessities for their NICU infants, such as: gas cards, car seats, lodging vouchers and other items that these families have not prepared for while their baby is in intensive care. The Cooper Life Fund is dedicated to honoring families with babies in the TGMC NICU and is committed to helping to ease the stress of their stay.

“Over the past 14 years Ashley and John Fontenot have provided encouragement to families who have had their babies admitted into our NICU,” said Phyllis Peoples, president and CEO. She added, “We are thankful for all the participants that continue to support the Super Cooper Race year after year and for the Fontenot Family for their continued compassion to our NICU families”.

John and Ashley Fontenot founded the Cooper Life Fund after their son, Cooper Fontenot, was born with a congenital heart defect called Transposition of the Great Vessels. Cooper spent many weeks in the hospital and endured several hours of open-heart surgery when he was only nine days old. Cooper is alive and well today because of advanced medical care and extensive cardiovascular research.

TGMC is the only hospital in the region to provide a Level III NICU to care for the youngest and smallest patients. The NICU is staffed by full time neonatologists, and can treat premature infants born at a weight of less than three pounds and younger than 32 weeks. TGMC is committed to providing this high level of specialized care to keep mothers near their babies while undergoing treatment.

For more information on the Cooper Life Fund and the Super Cooper 5K please visit https://www.cooperlifefund.org/sc2019.