OSWEGO, NY – In March, hundreds turned out as the Maggie Sue Glenister Wilcox Foundation staged the first-ever “Be Aware ‘Cause It’s Rare… Fight EEE” fundraising event at the American Foundry in Oswego.
In 2011, Maggie Sue died just two days before her long-anticipated fifth birthday – “as a result of contracting the virus known as Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a rare but deadly encephalitis that is transmitted to humans solely through the bite of an infected mosquito. A tiny… deadly… mosquito,” said Donna Wilcox, Maggie Sue’s aunt.
Maggie Sue’s family now refers to EEE as “The Beast.”
The MSGW Foundation is once again in the midst of planning another fundraising event to continue its efforts at obtaining a human vaccine for the deadly Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus, as well as for that of the West Nile Virus, Lyme’s Disease, and other similarly-related illnesses, as a direct result of the death of Maggie Sue, according to Donna Wilcox.
“At the first fundraiser, well over $15,000 was raised through very generous donations,” she said. “Our next fundraiser is going to be a ‘Field Days’ type event, held in conjunction with a motorcycle ‘Bug Run’ and chicken BBQ on Saturday (June 15).”
Saturday’s “Bug Run Field Days” event will be held outside Hazzy’s on Route 104 in New Haven.
There will be games and prizes, a dunking booth, a horseshoe tournament, a motorcycle (and bicycle) rodeo, barbecued chicken and othe foods as well as much more.
The family wants to make sure the public is educated about EEE, so that no other family has to go through what they have. The ultimate goal is to one day have a vaccine available to the general public.
To refresh, the US Army has had a human vaccine since the mid-1960s. We need the vaccine made available! Donna said.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, the symptoms of which are the sudden onset of a debilitating headache, high fever, chills and vomiting progressing into disorientation, seizures, coma and death.
This illness has no cure.
One in three children or adults who become infected will die and those who may survive typically suffer severe, irreversible and devastating brain damage.
Those most at risk for contracting this virus are children under the age of 15 and adults over the age of 50.
The Maggie Sue Glenister Wilcox Foundation, is a 501c (3) not-for-profit corporation. It’s a solely volunteer based corporation that was organized by Maggie Sue’s family after her sudden and tragic death on August 14, 2011.
For more information or to make a donation, contact the foundation at: Post Office Box 236, New Haven, NY 13121 or 315-592-1033.
Facebook: beawarecauseitsrare Fight Triple E
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