DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Our 2023 Remarkable Women series continues with our second finalist: Synthia Copher.

She has many titles: mother, daughter, wife, manager and healthcare worker. But her mother said she is a giver, among all things.

“If she sees that you have a need, she will make sure she helps as much as she can to give you that need,” said Synthia’s mother, Cynthia Davis.

As a Community Healthcare Worker Manager, Synthia assists families in many ways.

“I am able to help and advocate for families in so many different ways,” Synthia said. “We build that relationship with families, so we’ll say we are the bridge, because that bridge is more than just passing out resources.”

Her work is highly involved with Dayton Children’s many philanthropic projects. From their back-to-school program to their Giving Angels event, the Dayton Children’s Community Health Worker team, led by Cynthia, is driven by giving back to their community.

“And when you have family just come embrace you and hug you and you have no idea what’s going on and a family’s home, or they need food insecurity is one of the biggest things,” Synthia said. “So you have no idea how that can just take some stress off of families.”

But her work doesn’t stop when she exits the doors of the hospital. Her children, Sydnei Copher and Antonio Copher Jr. both have sickle cell disease.

“It’s a chronic illness, a blood disorder where my blood cells are shaped like a banana, a crescent shape, they can get caught in my veins and cause severe pain,” Sydnei said. “That pain can be anywhere, from my joints, to my back, to my head.”

“You can have strokes, it can impact your vision, your organs, you have to pay attention to the weather temperature, from extreme cold to heat,” Synthia said.

Synthia explained the pain as a feeling of a tourniquet squeezed very tight on your arm. She said medical challenges can happen on any given day. Three days after Christmas, Sydnei was hospitalized for a week.

“We had a typical day, then everything flipped and changed. Then she was in the ICU.”

But these obstacles and challenges never stop Synthia from giving back. In fact, they inspire her to do more.

“I’m part of a few committees dealing with sickle cell,” Synthia said. “I’m part of the Bureau of Children with Medical Handicaps, and the Patient Family Advisory Council, and a few others.”

Sydnei said what makes her mother so remarkable is how she goes beyond the bounds of her job description, both as a mother and as a healthcare worker.

“She advocates for people with not only my disorder, but other disorders as well,” Sydnei said.

Synthia’s mother said the biggest impact her daughter has had on the community is how she has educated the community on sickle cell awareness.

“She has shown that it is a disease that needs more backing, it needs more funding.”

Yet, despite all of her work, she doesn’t want any recognition.

“I don’t need a pat on the back. I don’t need a thank you, I do it because that’s what I want to do,” Synthia said. “It is my passion.”