30 THE QUEENS COURIER • KIDS & EDUCATION • DECEMBER 24, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
How one company helps kids’ wishes come true
It’s a parent’s worst nightmare: a call
from your child’s school to say there’s
been an accident, and you need to come
to the hospital right away.
Th at’s what happened when Noah was
just 10 years old. While swimming with
other kids at school, he appeared to suddenly
30 k TiHdE QsU E&EN Se CdOUuRIcERa • tDEiCoEMnBER 24, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
faint in the water. Fortunately, the
swimming coach acted quickly. Although
Noah’s heart actually stopped beating, a
local police offi cer happened to be in the
school that day checking their emergency
defi brillators, and an ambulance was
sitting outside the school. Th ose circumstances
helped prevent a tragedy for Noah
and his family.
Doctors and nurses at the hospital
quickly recognized what was wrong with
Noah - a condition called Long QT syndrome
(LQTS), also referred to as “prolonged
QT.” Long QT is caused by a
genetic mutation which aff ects the heart
rhythm, and it tends to run in families.
Th ose who suff er from LQTS can
have irregular heartbeats - prolonged and/
or fast, chaotic heartbeats. Th is condition
may trigger fainting, seizures, heart
attacks and even sudden death.
Since the incident in the pool that day,
Noah has suff ered from additional heart
attacks, and underwent surgery to implant
two defi brillators. Now 20 years old, he
still suff ers from critical side eff ects and
receives lifesaving treatment at Children’s
Heart Center at Strong in Rochester, New
York. Due to his illness, he was enrolled
in the Make-A-Wish program as a child
- which recently surprised him with his
wish by transforming his truck.
When he’s not receiving treatments at
the hospital, Noah enjoys creating music
and studies automotive mechanics in
hopes of becoming a trained mechanic.
It was no surprise when Noah wished for
a transformation to his truck. His fulfi lled
wish includes a lift , a grill, a sound system,
rims and new tires.
A car parade was organized with Noah’s
family and friends to reveal his longawaited
truck makeover. Noah’s hero -
the coach who pulled him from the pool -
along with the police offi cer who was there
that day when he nearly died at the age
of 10, stood by for the reveal when Noah
received keys to his revamped truck.
Make-A-Wish is able to fulfi ll the wishes
of children and teens suff ering from
critical illnesses every day, thanks to contributions
from individuals and businesses
nationwide. In East Aurora, New York,
Noah’s truck transformation was made
possible by Make-A-Wish Western New
York and generous donations from Service
Experts Heating & Air Conditioning, one
of the largest heating and air conditioning
service companies, with 89 locations
across 29 U.S. states and 3 Canadian provinces.
Service Experts has been actively
involved in fundraising eff orts for the past
two years to make a diff erence in the lives
of children suff ering from serious illnesses.
As a team, they have hosted an array of
creative fundraising eff orts - ranging from
company-wide Bowl-A-Th ons, raffl es and
T-shirt sales to local events like dunking
booths, yard sales and snack stores. Some
team members have volunteered as wish
granters to help kids identify their one
true wish. Others have donated money
and encouraged friends and family to do
the same.
For over two years, the company has
raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to
support Make-A-Wish, and they proudly
relate the stories of children they’ve
helped on their website.
“Our 3,600 employees play a signifi -
cant role in our commitment to Make-AWish,”
said Matt Kulik, general manager,
Sunbeam Service Experts. “It is an opportunity
for us to give back to the communities
that we live and work in.”
— Courtesy of BPT
How to plan for your child’s college costs
If your son or daughter is a high school
senior this year, you’re probably in the
midst of applying to colleges right now.
Th ere’s a lot for everyone to think about
- where to apply, the steps involved in
the application process and of course, the
fi nances.
Th is year things are certainly more challenging.
A recent College Ave Student
Loans survey conducted by Barnes and
Noble College Insights looked at how
the pandemic has changed the approaches
most families are taking to paying for
college. Over half of the survey respondents
(56%) reported that their fi nances
have been negatively aff ected, with
58% of those families using their savings
more than expected, 43% putting off
big purchases and 29% leaning on credit
cards. Financial setbacks like job loss have
caused many families to seek alternatives
to help pay for college costs.
While you’re planning for your child’s
education, it’s important to fi gure these
additional costs into your overall fi nancial
picture. Paying for college is not just
about tuition, so it’s a good idea to be prepared
for additional expenses - and know
your options for reducing those costs or
covering them.
Room and board
Paying for a dorm room and meal plan
is a big part of student expenses. For
freshman year, some schools don’t allow
students to live off -campus. Make sure to
fi nd out the rules for schools your son or
daughter is applying to and discuss your
family’s preferences.
Some students may choose to live
off -campus and rent an apartment.
Depending on the proximity to campus
and the area, it can still be costly.
If room and board or off -campus housing
isn’t covered by fi nancial aid, those costs
can be covered with student loan funds.
And some students save money their fi rst
year or two by enrolling in a local college or
university and living at home.
Textbooks and supplies
Books and supplies can cost hundreds
or even thousands of dollars each year
depending on your area of study. You can
use student loans to help cover the purchase
of a computer, books, required class
supplies and school-related fees.
Research ways to save on books. Most
schools off er used textbooks as an option
in their college bookstores, or you can
oft en fi nd used textbooks online. In some
cases, you can rent expensive textbooks.
In many cases, e-books are much more
aff ordable than actual textbooks.
Transportation
Consider the costs to commute to
school every day - parking, gas or public
transportation. Don’t forget to factor in
any trips home throughout the year that
might require a train or airfare.
It’s essential to know the full cost of
attending college when your family is
making plans together. Adding these further
costs to tuition, you may fi nd that
the grants or scholarships your child is
off ered, on top of federal student loans
or work-study options they may be eligible
for, will not cover everything for the
school year. Unexpected expenses can
also come up, such as unanticipated fees
or supplies, or a roommate bailing on a
shared apartment.
If your son or daughter needs additional
funds, one option is getting a private
student loan through College Ave, which
off ers competitive rates and a three-minute
application. Families have choices
about when to start making payments
and how long to take to pay back the
loan, making it easy for them to balance
a monthly budget while minimizing the
total cost.
— Courtesy of BPT
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