Teen Starts Dedicated Fund to Help Others Obtain Medication

Rather than wish for something for herself, a Make-A-Wish Northeast New York wish teen from Hamilton County wished to help others with epilepsy secure life-changing medication.

Maria, 17, of Inlet, announced her wish Thursday at a news conference outside the offices of Make-A-Wish Northeast New York and the Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York, which coincidentally share a building in Albany.

There are five categories of Make-A-Wish wishes. “I wish to have,” “I wish to go,” “I wish to meet” and “I wish to be” are the most common. The fifth, “I wish to give back” – the kind of wish Maria chose – is the rarest.

Maria’s wish starts a dedicated $10,000 fund to be administered by the Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York that will help families in the 22 counties it serves obtain vital medications.

“I could never imagine what it would be like if I couldn't afford the costs of seizure medication,” Lutz wrote in a first-person account of her wish, which can be found at mariaepilepsyfund.org. “I wanted to use this opportunity to make a change and help people just like me.

“My wish was to create a dedicated fund within the Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York that will help people with epilepsy pay for medication,” she continued. “The No. 1 reason for skipping doses is cost. I want to individually help others and possibly even change their life with this fund to help raise money and also awareness. The Maria’s Epilepsy Medication Emergency Fund will help raise awareness and money for people who are struggling to afford seizure medication.”

Maria’s impactful wish drew praise from both Make-A-Wish and Epilepsy Foundation representatives.

“At Make-A-Wish, we often talk about the power of a wish — and no wish is more powerful than one that gives back in the service of others,” said William C. Trigg, III, CEO of Make-A-Wish Northeast New York. “Wishes bring hope and strength to wish kids. In this case, we are humbled by the strength of Maria, and the hope she is bringing to others."

“We are excited to be partnering with Make-A-Wish, and so thankful to Maria for choosing to use her wish as a give-back wish to help people with epilepsy,” said Jeannine Garab, executive director of Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York. “Epilepsy will affect one in 26 people in our lifetime, and currently affects more than 45,000 people in northeastern New York.

“For most people with epilepsy, medication is the only option for treating their seizures. Without it, their seizures and quality of life would be drastically affected,” she continued. “With Maria’s Epilepsy Medication Emergency Fund, we can ensure that people with epilepsy will be able to afford the lifesaving medications that they depend on. ”

Maria’s Make-A-Wish volunteer wish granters are Karen Wachs and Sandi Worona. Wachs is a member of the Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York Board of Directors.