One of the seven designated Cancer Freeze recipients for 2015 lost his battle to Hodgkins Lymphoma Thursday.

Justin Heath Copeland, 21, of Opp was diagnosed last march with stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma after becoming sick in December 2013 with what appeared to be an upper respiratory infection.

Copeland said in his Cancer Freeze interview that soon after his diagnosis he began having severe pain in his feet and his second treatment of chemo caused foot drop, which made walking difficult.

He was unable to stand, and his mother, Teresa, had to quit her job to take care of him full time.

Copeland underwent chemo; received multiple units of blood; had been hospitalized several times and developed a blood clot in one of his lungs.

Copeland was awaiting a bone marrow transplant.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I share with you this morning that Justin, one of our seven recipients for 2015, has received his healing; not on this earth, but in heaven,” said Jennifer Davidson of Cancer Freeze. “My heart is heavy because it breaks for his mom and family, but I rejoice in knowing that Justin is now free to run, and be pain free.”

Davidson said that Copeland will remain one of the recipients for next month’s Cancer Freeze.

“Please lift his family in prayer,” she said. “We appreciate all your support on his behalf.”

Funeral services for Copeland will be tomorrow, Sun., Jan. 25, at Wyatt Funeral Home with the Rev. Gary Miller officiating.

He is survived by his faather, Dale Copeland of Opp; mother, Teresa Copeland of Opp; brother, Kyle (Tammy) Copeland of Oneida, Tenn.; grandmothers, Eula McCord of Opp and Bobbie Jean Copeland of Opp; uncles, Tim McCord of Opp, B.J. Copeland of Opp, Sanford Copeland Jr., of Opp and Jerry Copeland of Opp.