About Us

Our Story

Coop’s Troop Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded to honor the life of Cooper Matthew Richards, a beautiful and happy little boy from Weymouth, Massachusetts. He is the youngest of Kelly and Michael Richards’ four children and at 18 months old, Cooper was diagnosed with GM-1 gangliosidosis, which affects 1 in 100,000 to 200,000 newborns. As early as 6 months old, infants afflicted with Type I or the Infantile Form of GM-1 begin to slowly show symptoms of this extremely debilitating disorder. The symptoms of GM-1 include the weakening of muscles used for movement, developmental regression, intellectual disabilities, seizures, and vision loss. Tragically, children suffering from GM-1 usually do not survive past early childhood. Presently, there is no cure.

Cooper earned his angel wings on January 19, 2017 at the age of 3. He passed away peacefully at home in the care of hospice, inside the warmth of his parents’ arms, surrounded by tremendous love and support. We believe Cooper walked, swam, skipped, jumped and maybe even danced his way into heaven; all the things he was never able to do on Earth. There is a famous quote that goes, “Sometimes superheroes reside in the hearts of small children fighting big battles.” Cooper is and always will be our hero.

The goal of the foundation will be to fund scientific research, education and charitable purposes that support the social, economic and medical needs and development of children with life limiting diseases and special needs. The foundation will set the ground work to do some amazing “Cooper Work.”