Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 21, 2013 12:29 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Ryan A. Bizzarro and Rep. Adam Ravenstahl |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Designating November 2013 as “National Epilepsy Awareness Month” & recognizing July 27, 2014 as “Alyssa Josephine O’Neill, ‘#ajo,’ Pay it Forward Day.” |
| Designating November 2013 as “National Epilepsy Awareness Month” and recognizing July 27, 2014 as “Alyssa Josephine O’Neill, ‘#ajo,’ Pay it Forward Day” to celebrate one who died too young from epilepsy, but inspired others to educate the public about it. The National Epilepsy Foundation annually recognizes November as “National Epilepsy Awareness Month.” The story of Alyssa Josephine O’Neill, an 18-year-old McDowell High School graduate, who died after suffering an epileptic seizure, but whose passing inspired a social media awareness effort, demonstrates how a tragic loss can raise awareness of a disease that affects so many. Therefore, we will soon introduce a resolution that is aimed further raising epilepsy awareness by tying the story of Alyssa Josephine O’Neill in with that goal and honoring those who tried to honor her and inform people about the disease. The story starts with Alyssa telling her mother she wanted to enjoy a pumpkin spice latte. Her mother promised they would share one the next day. Sadly an epileptic seizure led to Alyssa’s death before she could enjoy a latte. She had only learned she had epilepsy in January 2012. She would have begun studying nursing at Penn State Erie. She had volunteered to build epilepsy awareness as an Epilepsy Project ambassador. Following Alyssa’s funeral, her parents, Sarah and Jason O’Neill, visited a Starbucks to enjoy a pumpkin spice latte in honor of Alyssa. They bought 40 pumpkin spice lattes, which they asked the staff to distribute to incoming customers. They marked the cups with a “#ajo” in purple to prompt visits to Alyssa’s Twitter site to learn about her, her efforts to inform others about epilepsy and her demise at 18. Starbucks staff tripled the donation, put “ajo” in purple, the color of epilepsy awareness, on cups given that day, and made a donation to an epilepsy charity. Supporters made similar pay it forward gestures and donations through other Erie companies including Tim Hortons, Panera Bread, Dairy Queen, Ringside Restaurant and Salon H2O. The campaign increased with the start of an “AJO Forever in our Hearts” Facebook page about Alyssa and epilepsy. Instagram posted thousands of photos with the #ajo hashtag, while Twitter logged thousands of tweets with that hash tag to promote Alyssa’s Twitter page and epilepsy awareness. These efforts have informed thousands of people about Alyssa, epilepsy, how someone can die from it and the need for greater awareness of it. The resolution I shall introduce will work to further that awareness by recognizing November 2013 as “National Epilepsy Awareness Month. Further, by making Alyssa’s birthday, July 27, a special day, the resolution will honor her, the people involved in the social media, and other efforts to share her story and information about epilepsy. Joining in to sponsor and support the resolution will help further pay the effort forward. I hope you all will join in as sponsors and supporters. |
Introduced as HR538