Hello everyone. I am going to take some
time to talk about a nonprofit organization that is not very well-known, but I
can assure you their intentions and story are as pure as just about any other charity
out there. The organization I would like to talk about is called the John
Crimmins Foundation.
The
story to how the John Crimmins Foundation was founded is a sad, tragic tale;
however, it is one which resulted in the emergence of an organization which is
to this day spreading awareness of a cause which was previously lurking in the shadows of the average person.
The story revolves around a boy named John. Up until reaching the age of
eighteen, John was a normal teenager, just like us. He was a smart, friendly,
sociable young man with a bright future ahead of him. One thing which he had a
huge passion for was the ocean; he was a lifeguard and enjoyed swimming more
than anything. However, at the age of eighteen, John experienced a seizure; why
it occurred or what had caused it is still unknown. Unfortunately, this was not
an isolated incident: John soon began to experience more seizures, and they became
more common and occurred without any warning of when they would strike. Despite this, John’s love for the ocean never faded. On July 4, 2015, however, John and his
friends took a trip down to the Jersey Shore for the weekend, and it was in the
ocean, the one place where he could be at peace, that he experienced a seizure
that ultimately caused him to drown and cost him his life-at the age of only 23.
John will forever be dearly missed, but it was his legacy that inspired the
creation of the John Crimmins Foundation.
The
purpose of this nonprofit is to provide funding to organizations which are
dedicated to helping people with seizure disorders and ensure that they are
given all the resources possible so that they may live normal lives. Their
mission statement is as follows: “Our goal is to make the lives of people that
suffer from seizures easier, and to save the hearts of the countless others who
love them. We do this by funding charities specifically curated to the needs of
people with seizures and hope that one day, no one with a seizure disorder will
have to live in fear of the unknown.” Their intentions are pure, and I would be
lying if I said I did not have somewhat of a personal connection to this
organization. When John passed away, it was currently the summer before I began my sophomore year of high school (in 2015). I
never knew John; however, it turned out that John’s cousin happened to be one
of my cross-country coaches, whose name I will not say at the moment. She began
to advocate and support the foundation as it was being created; meanwhile, a
few of the girls on the team came up with an idea to insert the logo of the
John Crimmins Foundation into our custom team shirts for the season. We wore
them with pride, carrying John’s legacy whenever we put them on. Personally, I
have never experienced what it feels like to have a seizure, but after learning
of John’s story, I cannot imagine what it must be like to live day-to-day with
such a condition. It is for this reason that I believe that this is a worthy
cause and that I support their mission in believing that every person with a
seizure disorder should be given the proper resources so that they do not have
to constantly live their lives in fear, never knowing when and where a seizure
will hit.
Now,
some of you are probably thinking “Why is Justin advocating for something so
personal? What happened to listening to the brain as well as the heart?” Those
of you that are thinking this, calm your nerves; I have done my research, as
everyone should with any nonprofit organization. I was especially cautious in
my decision making because this is a foundation which collects money to donate
to other organizations which aid in the same cause. After thorough independent research,
the types of organization to which the John Crimmins Foundation donates to are
legitimate, dependable, and have pure intentions. One such organization in which
the foundation supports is the Canine Partners for Life (or the CPL). The CPL
exists for the sole purpose of training dogs to help alert a person with a
seizure disorder, such as epilepsy, when a seizure is imminent, so they may get
to a safe place and a safe position. The donations they receive go directly
toward funding to train more dogs to sense when a seizure is about to
hit and alert a person once they do. The organizations to which the John Crimmins
Foundation donates to are all legitimate, as is the cause: over 65 million
people around the world and 2 million in the United States alone suffer from seizure
disorders, so it is not a small cause. The foundation hosts many local events
in the Westchester area, in addition to some within the five boroughs. These
events bring the community together and are designed for people to have fun
while supporting a worthy cause.
If I had to say
why I think others should support this organization (personal reasons aside), I
would have to say that it is simply a great cause which is not yet in the
spotlight enough for some people to recognize its presence. On top of that, the
organizations to which the John Crimmins Foundation supports with their
donations are top-notch, legitimate, and dedicated to ensuring that no person
with a seizure disorder will ever live in fear ever again. In merely their
third year of existence, this organization is still very young. However, they
have already made a huge impact within the local community, and their cause
will only grow in tandem with the influence of the organization. I encourage
everyone to look over the links which I have attached and to spread awareness
of this cause in the near future. All in all, I believe that this is an
organization which I am equally passionate about and which is also a reliable,
locally run foundation that will thrive in spreading awareness for years to
come.
Links:
·
John
Crimmins Foundation Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Thejohncrimminsfoundation/about/?ref=page_internal
Canine Partners for
Life Website: https://k94life.org/about/vision-mission/
Hey Justin,
ReplyDeleteI am firm believer in the "think with your head, not your heart" ideology when it comes to giving. At least I thought that. Presenting an issue that you care about deeply requires an immense amount of respect, considering that helping people with a condition such as seizures is not the number one priority on people's list. Yet, it takes a lot to raise awareness for this issue.
Even though people might care more about wide scale social issues such as poverty or drug abuse , people with seizures matter equally. In our society we shouldn't categorize peoples suffering by how they are represented demographically, but we should categorize them by whether they need assistance or not. Therefore, there is no "shame" in promoting an issue that might not speak to a majority of potential donors, just because that issue is less represented in society. What matters most is that we have people that deeply care about issues, to help people in need. In context of that, donating with tour heart might be more beneficial that solely donating with your head.
After reading your blog, I became more interested in seizures and stumbled upon a non-profit organization called the "Chelsea Hutchinson Foundation." Their mission is to "to raise awareness of SUDEP and to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals and families living with epilepsy." Furthermore, they provide the newest technology to promote treatment of epilepsy. A further aspect to why this organization is valuable is their will to achieve an independent life for seizure patients.
Thank you for your dedication. Below is the link to their website
https://chelseahutchisonfoundation.org
Hi Justin,
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about your charity pitch is that you chose an organization that is relevant and somewhat personal to you--it makes your argument all the more passionate and believable. After reading your post, I honestly feel the desire to donate to the John Crimmins Foundation. I find it very interesting that this organization supports a cause that most people do not think about. People suffering from seizures is a problem that was never mentioned in any of our class discussions, and this issue would probably never have been addressed had you not made this post.
After doing some research, I found that about 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy or recurring seizures in their lifetime. This statistic alone shows that this problem is definitely underrated, and I believe that more people should be made aware of this occurrence. Even though this issue is not at the forefront of philanthropic efforts, I was surprised to find many organizations dedicated to fighting this disease: Epilepsy Foundation, the American Epilepsy Society, CURE Epilepsy, and Epilepsy Warriors (to name a few) are all organizations that strive to improve the lives of people impacted by seizures. From what you say in your post, I am confident that the John Crimmins Foundation gives its money to legitimate organizations, where the money is used wisely and effectively. Who knows, maybe the foundation already has relationships with some of the organizations I mentioned above. I will put the links to their websites below.
Thank you for your passionate story about the history of the John Crimmins Foundation, you definitely convinced me to want to donate to them.
https://www.epilepsy.com/
https://www.aesnet.org/
https://www.cureepilepsy.org/
http://www.epilepsywarriors.org/