PWS sibling Austin, 14, has been using his new entrepreneurial skills to raise money for PWSA | USA and awareness for our rare disease community in honor of his sister Lola. How? By making and selling jam! Read below to find out how Austin came up with this idea, how much he has raised so far, and how you can get your hands on this delicious preservative!
Q: What gave you the idea to start selling jam?
A: I am taking an entrepreneurship class at school and was looking for ideas to start a business. Through my research, making jam looked like it would be a good option. It was a business that I could start from my house and find opportunities to sell my product.
Q: What motivates you to make the jam and support PWSA | USA?
A: I want my business to be successful, and I want to learn as much as I can while doing it. Supporting PWSA | USA is important to me because my sister Lola has PWS, and I have a deep conviction to help support an organization that is working to better the lives of those with PWS.
Q: How much jam has been sold so far and do you plan to continue?
A: To date, I have sold over 100 jars of jam and have made around $500, raising $330 for PWSA | USA. I am planning to continue to make and sell jam, but I am not sure for how long. After high school, I want to go to school to study genetic diseases and help the PWS community by helping research cures for hyperphagia and other side effects.
Q: What do you wish people knew about having a sibling with PWS?
A: They are incredible people and no different than us. Lola is just as mischievous and playful as her twin sister Abbigail. I know that God has a plan, and He has great things in store for Lola.
Scroll below to read the flyer Austin shares when he sells jam at events, which shares the story about his sister's journey with PWS.
We want to share a heartfelt thank you to Austin for supporting PWSA | USA, helping to raise awareness for our community, and for being an amazing big brother to Lola! If you are interested in purchasing jam from Austin or if you have any questions, please contact thevineandbranches3@gmail.com.
Jennifer Bolander has been serving as a Special Education Specialist for PWSA (USA) since October of 2015. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and lives in Ohio with her husband Brad and daughters Kate (17), and Sophia (13) who was born with PWS.
Perry A. Zirkel has written more than 1,500 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for NAESP’s Principal magazine and NASP’s Communiqué newsletter, and he did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children.
Evan has worked with the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (USA) since 2007 primarily as a Crisis Intervention and Family Support Counselor. Evans works with parents and schools to foster strong collaborative relationships and appropriate educational environments for students with PWS.
Dr. Amy McTighe is the PWS Program Manager and Inpatient Teacher at the Center for Prader-Willi Syndrome at the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. She graduated from Duquesne University receiving her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education with a focus on elementary education, special education, and language arts.
Staci Zimmerman works for Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of Colorado as an Individualized Education Program (IEP) consultant. Staci collaborates with the PWS multi-disciplinary clinic at the Children’s Hospital in Denver supporting families and school districts around the United States with their child’s Individual Educational Plan.
Founded in 2001, SDLC is a non-profit legal services organization dedicated to protecting and advancing the legal rights of people with disabilities throughout the South. It partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs, Legal Services Corporations (LSC) and disability organizations on major, systemic disability rights issues involving the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the federal Medicaid Act. Recently in November 2014, Jim retired.