ALEXANDRIA, Ky. -- Family and friends of Cooper Phillips will get together Saturday at Voice of America Metro Park, donning green shirts with the words "Cooper's Troopers" on them, to support him and raise money for lung health in the Lung Force Walk.
Cooper has suffered from breathing issues since he was a few months old.
"He's a strong spunky guy," said Sondra Phillips, Cooper's mom. "He doesn't let any of this stuff keep him down or hold him down."
His issues began with a diagnosis of respiratory syncytial virus which causes respiratory tract infections, and led to bronchiectasis, a chronic condition which makes it hard to clear mucus out of the airways of a person's lungs.
In order to fight this, Cooper is strapped into a breathing machine which breaks up mucus in his chest, letting him cough it up.
There is no known cure for bronchiectasis, so Cooper's Troopers hope the funds they raise will go toward finding one.
"We want to raise enough money to where he can live like a normal kid and run and play and keep up with all his brothers and sisters," said Sondra. "It definitely makes things a lot easier to know that we have the support of family and friends who love us and love him so much."
The Lung Force Walk starts 9 a.m. Saturday.
You can register for the walk or make a donation to Cooper's Troopers on the Lung Force Walk's website here.
