Helping Amy O’Neil
The other day during my lunch break I was having a pity party. I knew I needed to do something to shift my negative energy, so I got in my car and I took a drive to my favorite artsy, eclectic store in the Hamden Plaza. As I strolled around the store, I came across a cookbook with a small sign that said, “Proceeds go to the Amy O’Neil Fund.” I looked a bit more closely at the sign, and I realized she had a disease I had never heard of before: Epidermolysis Bullosa. EB is a rare autoimmune disease where mild rubbing of the skin (both external and internal) causes blistering and infections. It is a disease that can require constant medical attention, depending on the severity of the case.
After I left the store that afternoon, I kept thinking about Amy and her condition. I felt ashamed for feeling sorry for myself because I know I have a relatively easy life. My digestive issues and food intolerances are nothing in comparison to what Amy lives with everyday. I also felt a bit helpless because I knew that purchasing a $15.00 cookbook wouldn’t change her life drastically, even if did help pay for some of her medical expenses.
On the way home from work that day, I stopped off at the Whitneyville Food Center to buy some groceries. As I stood in the butcher shop waiting for my meat to be packed, I saw the cookbook again. It was standing there on top of the display case with the same sign and picture of Amy.
It’s a day later and I am still thinking about why I saw that book two times in one day, especially on a day when I wasn’t in the best of moods. Tonight I decided to do some searching online for Amy and I discovered that we live in the same town. She has a website and a place where you can buy the cookbook and make a donation to help her with medical expenses. There is also a video you can watch to learn more about Amy and her condition in her own words.
I encourage you to visit this website to learn more about Amy and her condition, Epidermolysis Bullosa. There are a number of ways you can help Amy too. You can buy a cookbook, make a donation, or attend a fundraiser in late October here in Connecticut. You can even enter a contest to design the CD cover for a CD that is being produced for the Amy O’Neil Fund.
