Pay It Forward

Today I want to share the story of a family from my hometown who lost their beautiful daughter two weeks ago today and what they have done in those short two weeks to honor her memory.

#AJO maybe some of you have heard of this hashtag - which are the initials of Alyssa J. O'Neil - a lot of the people at my school have not, but I do know that it has become a worldwide thing. What started with 10 of Starbuck's PSLs being pre-paid for by Alyssa's parents, Jason and Sarah O'Neil, ended up in the fast spreading phenomenon of #AJO. This simple act of kindness that started in Erie, Pennsylvania has resulted in people participating in #AJO from all over the world. People are AJO'ing in Germany, Greece, Bermuda, and Alaska just to name a few. When I say "a few" I really do mean "a few". All over the world people are paying it forward. It's crazy that one family took their heartache and turned it into something positive.

Alyssa's passed away after a grand mal seizure on Wednesday, September 4, 2013. Her parents weren't sure how to express their heartbreak from the loss of their daughter so they decided to drive to their nearest Starbucks and pre-order 10 of Pumpkin Spice Lattes and gave the barista a few purple markers to write "#AJO" on the cups. Purple is the color of epilepsy so this was done not only to let people learn more about Alyssa, but also about epilepsy.

I got to pay it forward today (yes, even as a poor college student) with one PSL and it made my day so much better. So here's my question to you:

Have you AJOed today?

You should, I promise that not only will it make someone else's day, but it will also make your's.

Alyssa J. O'Neil

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Epilepsy Foundation