Hi my name is Aaron Maresky and I am the co-founder of Aaron’s Apple. I am 11 years old and I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of seven. In order for me to feel healthy and strong, and be able to do normal stuff every day, I need to take a very expensive medication. But I am very lucky, because my family has medical insurance that covers the high cost of the medicine. Many children are not so lucky. That is why I decided to start Aaron’s Apple – To help other families who cannot afford to keep their children out of pain. Hopefully I can make a difference and help change lives. Thank you for taking a bite and changing a life.

Noah is a 14 year old high School student who enjoys hanging out with his friends, film and production, skate boarding, snow boarding and listening to music. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at age 11 and is looking forward to being involved with Aaron’s Apple as it is his opportunity to give back to the community.

Hi, my name is Nicole Shrott and I am grade eleven student at Westmount Colligate Institute. I am a very sympathetic person and I have always had a soft spot in my heart for people who are in need. Since I was a little girl, helping people has always been something that I have enjoyed. When I met Aaron for the first time at one of the charity events, I instantly felt a need and passion to help children that are chronically ill. I hope to help many people in the near future and being a part Aaron’s Apple will allow me to continue to do so.

My name is Aimee and I am Aaron’s oldest sister. I am very inspired by the amazing work that he is doing, and how he has helped so many chronically ill children. I am so proud to be part of this journey. Hopefully we can raise lots of money to financially assist many sick children through Aaron’s Apple, and I am very proud to be part of this adventure of saving lives.

Hi, my name is Lori and I am Aaron’s sister. When Aaron was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, it was a very hard time for my family. To see my brother prosper and succeed with this charity has made me so proud and has inspired me to become involved and help other children who are suffering. I never want another child to suffer the way that my brother did. This is one of the reasons why I am so proud to be part of Aaron’s Apple….Every bite counts.

Randy is 11 years old and enjoys playing hockey (goal) , Karate and depending on the season, he likes to wakeboard, snowboard, and skateboard. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease when he was 8 years old. Randy participated in the Gutsy Walk in 2012 and completed a visual display project at school on Crohns and Colitis, (“Project Inspire) as a way of educating his peers about his disease. Randy’s involvement with Aaron’s Apple will be another way to fundraise, this time for kids in need of costly medicines that are often not affordable or covered by insurance. Its also a way to spend time with his friend Aaron

Hi, my name is Jordana and I am a grade 11 high school student. When I was 13, I developed Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis – a rare chronic disorder – following the Gardasil vaccine. I enjoy hanging out with friends, listening to music, and taking dance classes – which gives me an escape from the chronic pain that I live with. I am very excited to be involved with Aaron’s Apple, and help raise awareness and funds for high medication and treatment costs for other chronically ill children.

My name is Samantha Goodman and I am a grade ten high school student. I enjoy hanging out with friends, watching movies and travelling. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the beginning of grade nine and suffered greatly but am very lucky to have the costs of my expensive medication covered. Through Aaron’s Apple I learned about those who were less fortunate and have made it my mission to help them. I do this through this amazing charity by helping out with fundraisers and creating awareness!

Hi, my name is Sinéad.

I am 22 and a college student currently studying thanatology.

I enjoy traveling, cooking, going to concerts and volunteering.

Over the course of my 22 years, I have been diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses. In the last several years, as my health has really declined, i have spent more time in hospital than anywhere else.

Despite everyday being a battle, I am grateful for everything that is thrown my way.

Pain & illness are great, but terrible teachers. If I did not have these conditions, I would not have the perspective on life i do. I would never have been made aware of the suffering others endure on a daily basis and would not be aware of what can be done to help others.

If there is one thing that I have learned going through all this that I feel needs to be shared it would have to be… You may not be able to control your disease, disability or the amount of pain you are in, but you can ALWAYS control how kind you are.

I am truly honored to be an Aaron’s Apple Ambassador. I am so passionate about this cause because I also believe NO child(the most vulnerable members of society) should have to suffer. People assume because we live in a place with free healthcare, overwhelming medical costs DO NOT exist and are not an issue, but sadly this is the reality for many families who do not have private insurance on top of their government healthcare plan.

I am extremely passionate about educating people about these issues and the AMAZING work Aaron’s Apple does and I look forward to continue doing so.

Hi my name is Shirel Shayo and I am a grade 12 student at Tanenbaum CHAT. Having known Aaron now for a few years I have loved being a part and helping this incredible charity. I am very passionate about charity work and giving back to the community and I am so thankful Aaron’s Apple has allowed me to do so. There are so many deserving children with chronic illnesses and I am so glad to be helping to raise money for this incredible cause. I look forward to the incredible journey still to come being apart of Aaron’s Apple and hope to help many more deserving children one bite at a time!

Hi I’m Sarah and I’m 12 years old. I like to hang out with my friends, play sports, listen to music and go to camp in the summer. I also love to help others who aren’t as fortunate as I am, so joining Aaron’s Apple looked like an amazing opportunity. I am so excited to join Aaron’s Apple and to help other kids in need. I’m one of Aaron’s good friends, and I hate watching what he goes through, so I decided that I wanted to help other kids too. I’m really happy and proud that I get to begin this amazing new journey and be part of such a fantastic organization.

Hi, my name is Jessica Goldentuler and I am a grade twelve students at Tanenbaum Chat as well as Noah Goldentuler’s sister. I am a very passionate and sympathetic person and I love volunteering with Aaron’s Apple. Since I met Aaron for the first time at a fundraising event a few years ago, I have developed an even stronger desire to help chronically ill children as I can empathize and relate. I hope to continue to help many children with chronic illness in the future through my involvement in Aaron’s Apple and I am extremely proud to be doing so.