NYer Of The Week: Mother-Daughter Duo Put Cooking Skills Toward Helping Others
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The latest New Yorkers of the Week help those in need by remembering a family member. NY1's John Schiumo filed the following report. Jo Ann Greenwald remembers the first time she saw her sister in law Emily overwhelmed by epilepsy.
“Thirty two years ago when we got married I witnessed her have grand mal epileptic seizures, every 15 minutes for two weeks,” Greenwald said.
Emily's epilepsy was diagnosed when she was 18 months old. Her seizures can leave her unconscious and with violent muscle contractions. So she can't often travel from her group home on Long Island. But when she IS able to be with her family Greenwald says Emily is always baking.
“She is a terrific baker,” Greenwald said.
So two years ago Greenwald and her daughter Lisa decided to do something to help Emily and others like her.
They started Emily's Edibles. The company is inspired by Emily's favorite recipes and all the proceeds go to the Epilepsy therapy project, which helps bring new therapies and research to people with epilepsy.
“I really think its a family effort, we are the people that work on it, we know Emily, we love her and we don't want people to suffer like she has,” Lisa Greenwald said.
The Greenwalds volunteer their time, picking up supplies and putting shipments together.
“It is the grassroots effort that sustains the epilepsy therapy project and its people like the Greenwald family caring about their family members is what really is keeping the epilepsy therapy project going,” said Dr. Orrin Devinsky, co-founder of The Epilepsy Therapy Project.
The treats are primarily sold online (shipping is free) but are also available exclusively at Brooklyn Fare in Downtown Brooklyn. The profits go to fund grants to study epilepsy in women. Jo Ann says her sister-in-law approves.
“She feels really great that her baking is one accomplishment of her life that has done something and will benefit other people,” Greenwald said.
And so for benefiting others by baking for a cause Jo Ann and Lisa Greenwald are our New Yorkers of the week.
If you'd like to nominate someone to be NY1's New Yorker of the Week, send an email describing their qualifications to: nyer@ny1.com or mail a letter to:
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