Katharina Buczek
Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Today, the Friends of Will (FOW) nonprofit organization is holding its third annual walk-a-thon. Friends of Will was formed in 2017 in honor of Will Schupler.
According to their Facebook page, FOW has a goal of “raising awareness and funds for organizations that help individuals with physical and/or mental disabilities overcome challenges and live life to the fullest.”
Will was born with a rare brain malformation known as Cortical Dysplasia and suffered his first seizure at just nine months old.
He now suffers from seizures daily, experiencing an average of forty per month. Will has also undergone four brain surgeries, is non-verbal, has limited vision, and has tried more than two dozen medications in order to lessen his seizures.
Now thirteen years old, Will continues to fight. Robert Schupler, Will’s father, has organized a GoFundMe in honor of the walk-a-thon, and today also happens to be the birthday of his wife, Will’s mom.
Facebook; pictured above is Will with his mom
“We are walking to help people better understand the challenges of those with special needs and their caregivers,” the GoFundMe says, “We are raising money for my school and my full-time residence, The Center for Discovery.”
The walk will take place at the Cold Spring Harbor High School track from noon on Saturday, November 20th, until noon on Sunday, November 21st. One member of Will’s family will remain on the track at all times.
“They will take shifts and support each other, just like they did when I lived at home,” the GoFundMe says, “Caring for someone with special needs is physically and emotionally exhausting, lonely, isolating, requires countless sacrifices, and is never-ending. Our twenty-four-hour walk is meant to illustrate some of those challenges.”
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