MELISSA COPP

Founder and Executive Director

Melissa Copp resides in Waco, Texas and is the Founder and Executive Director of the Raising Wheels Foundation.  After receiving her business degree from Texas A&M University in 2001 and her Masters in Legal Studies from Texas State University in 2006, she traded in big city life in Austin to the slower paced town of Waco, Texas.  She moved there with her husband in hopes of starting a family.  Their first son, Calan, arrived in August of 2008, but parenthood came with a slew of hardships including developmental delays, genetic testing, brain scans, specialists, and countless other issues.  All the while battling these hardships and moving along without a diagnosis, they welcomed a second son, Lawson, in March of 2012.  Life repeated itself and their world was thrown once again into the revolving door of specialists after Lawson demonstrated similar symptoms.  In April 2015, both boys were diagnosed with a rare Mitochondrial condition that has only 7 confirmed cases in the world and no cure or treatment plan.  Although raising two differently abled sons has its challenges, Melissa has focused on the beauty that is RAISING WHEELS and has dedicated herself to advocating for the differently abled community and championing for change for better accessibility in homes and public places.

Her love and passion for her boys on wheels led her to focus on the need for a 100% Accessible home and in January 2018, her and her family were featured on Season 5 of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper.”  They were gifted a fully renovated home their differently abled boys could finally grow in.  Melissa used that life changing event as motivation to establish the Raising Wheels Foundation which helps provide resources to families raising differently abled children.

JODY COPP

Program Manager and Treasurer

Jody Copp resides in Waco, Texas and serves as the Program Manager and Treasurer of the Raising Wheels Foundation.  Jody received a BS in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University in 1999 and has spent the better part of the last 20 years in private or public purchasing.  He is married to Melissa Copp and is the proud Daddy of Calan and Lawson.  Having never been around differently abled children, having sons Calan and Lawson has opened his eyes to a whole new world and he has humbly met the challenge of raising two children with special needs.  He has taken an active role in their lives by volunteering to coach in multiple adaptive sports leagues and enjoys going to various adaptive events to broaden both his and the boys’ experiences.  These events allow him to see where small changes can be made that can help the masses and has allowed him to grow into an advocate for the differently abled community.

In order to meet the needs of their family and focus on running the various programs of the Raising Wheels Foundation, Jody left the public sector in May of 2018.  He is now the primary caretaker for his two medically fragile children, thus allowing more time to assist with all the exciting programs through the Raising Wheels Foundation.

Janice Mason

Board Member

Janice lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, Rick, and their three boys.  Janice is a Certified Public Accountant with her accounting degree from The University of Texas and serves as a Board Member of the Raising Wheels Foundation.  She worked in the corporate world until her first born son, Connor, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 6 months of age in 1999.  She quickly took action as his advocate, so Connor could have the basic resources he needed for every day life.  In May 2002, they welcomed another son, Brice.  The life she knew of constant hardships and uncertainty seemed to pause momentarily when Brice was born because she felt some of the relief set in after finding out that Brice was typically developing.

The desire to create a supportive environment for not just her differently abled son, but also for her family led her to form a business in 2005 with another mom called “Wheels of Fun”, which provides happiness through custom wheelchair covers.  Bringing joy to others, one wheelchair at a time, made life a little more bearable through the hardships she faced raising Connor.  Several years later, they received the shock of their lives when Janice became pregnant with their third son, Isaac, at the age of 46.  With a <1% chance of conception, this baby was meant to be part of this world.  During a routine ultrasound, the doctor noticed something that prompted them to see a specialist to make sure the baby was developing properly.  The specialist noticed a small hole in the wall of Issac’s heart and some fluid buildup around the heart, but prayed daily for it to resolve itself. Sweet Issac was born at 36 weeks and by God’s grace, both the hole and the fluid issues completely resolved themselves.  However, they would soon be met with one of the most challenging but rewarding situations God has given them…raising a child with Down Syndrome.

Through it all, Janice and her husband triumph over these tragedies and are thankful for the many blessings they have been given.  One of the blessings is their love for the differently abled community, and also the future to serve through the Raising Wheels Foundation.

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