George McCoy, longtime advocate for the bleeding disorders community, passed away on August 23rd, 2017. He was a founding father of Hemophilia of North Carolina (HNC) and was personally involved in major developments in hemophilia research at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He was the first person to receive recombinant clotting factor in 1987, ushering in what became the new standard of treatment.
He was passionate about advocating for the bleeding disorders community and for people with disabilities. As part of HNC, he served on the Advocacy Committee, working on state public policy, and developed a youth advocacy program at the chapter.
In his professional life, he worked for North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Division of Health and Human Services. In 2005, he was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from North Carolina Governor Mike Easley for extraordinary service to the state. In 2017, NHF honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 69th Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL.
"George was a friend and mentor to so many, but he was also a tireless advocate for our community," said Charlene Cowell, executive director of HNC. "He will continue to be an inspiration to future generations as someone who looked at adversity as opportunity."
A celebration of life for George McCoy will be held on November 12, 2017 at 1:30pm at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle in Cary, NC. This event will be co-hosted by HNC and George’s husband, Phil Poovey. Registration is required and will be on a first-come first-served basis, dependent on space. Email info@hemophilia-nc.org or call: 800.990.5557.