Maya Rigler, a 10-year-old diagnosed in January with cancer for the second time, says she wants to be a philanthropist when she grows up.
The fifth grader from Radnor Township may already have reached that goal, raising more than $100,000 for pediatric cancer this year.
Brett Mezrow, also a fifth grader living in Radnor, was frustrated that research on mitochondrial disease was underfunded because not enough people know about it. 27, two days after doctors discovered a tumor on Maya’s pancreas – unrelated to a different form of cancer she defeated at age 2 – Maya and her parents set up a charitable Web page through Alex’s Lemonade Stand, the Bala Cynwyd-based charity founded by Alexandra Scott, in 2000.
Within a week of creating the Web page, Maya, a student at Ithan Elementary School, had surpassed her initial goal of $10,000 and raised it to $50,000. Now Maya has a new goal of $250,000.
“People raise money for years to reach that amount,” said Liz Scott, Alexandra’s mother, who with husband Jay met this month with Maya and her parents.
Added Jay Scott, “Usually it’s a company that raises that type of money.”
Richard Marker, a professor at New York University and a philanthropy consultant, said young people today aren’t necessarily more concerned about issues than in the past, but that children and young adults may be more likely to connect and work with an established organization to spread their campaigns.
Maya’s father, Peter Rigler, said their campaign had gone viral through the support of friends, family, and the local Jewish community.
“It’s directly helping us,” said Stacy Rigler, Maya’s mother.
Niels’ story
At the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Brett and Niels are trying to raise money for and awareness of mitochondrial disease. They have launched a video campaign they hope will go viral like last year’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
Their “Mito 5 Challenge” asks viewers to repeat the words mitochondrial disease five times fast on camera, then post the video to social media, encouraging friends to participate and donate $5.
The boys created the video after Brett urged Niels to speak out about the disease as part of a class project tasking students with raising awareness for an issue.
Niels, who had been shy about speaking publicly about the disease, is now the public face of the campaign the boys hope to continue into middle school.
“I just wanted the school to know,” Niels said.
