Mandy Maresky

My son Aaron was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the tender age of 7. In 2009, shortly after my son’s diagnosis my family and I started Aaron’s Apple.

Parents of children with chronic illness are faced with the harsh reality that they are unable to control the illness that their child has been diagnosed. One of the options to ease the suffering of these children comes in the form of highly priced medical treatments. Some parents are fortunate enough to have medical insurance that will cover such high costs. However many are not so fortunate and simply don’t have the financial means to ease the intolerable pain that their child is experiencing. Aaron’s Apple’s primary goal is to help families cope with overwhelming medical costs. As the costs of delivering healthcare rises, the ability of families to afford the appropriate and necessary healthcare diminishes. This places enormous stress upon families. In their time of need, Aaron’s Apple helps families pay for expensive medication and treatments.

Aaron’s Apple has raised over $400,000 in it’s short existence, and amazingly has helped 20 families gain access to unaffordable medications. In addition, in 2013 Aaron’s Apple donated $50,000 to the Aaron’s Apple Amenities fund, administered by the Hospital for Sick Children’s Foundation.