Whiz Kid: Stephanie Wettstein

When student Stephanie Wettstein was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune blood disorder at 13, she decided to turn a negative situation into a positive one. Over the past year, while undergoing treatments for Chronic Refractory ITP, she focused her energy on raising funds and awareness about the condition for others in similar situations.

“I was healthy one day and sick the next, but when times get tough, you have to try as hard as you can to be responsible and not let it overcome you,” Wettstein said. “There is always someone who is in a worse situation.” 

Not only did Wettstein maintain a positive outlook despite frequent hospital visits, chemotherapy, and steroid treatments that drastically changed her appearance, but also made a concerted effort to keep up with her academics so much so that she was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society last year.

“What impressed me the most about Stephanie was her unending determination not to allow her illness to stop her from accomplishing everything that was expected of her classmates, even when she was absent for days at a time due to her illness,” said Jeanmarie Griffo, Wettstein’s math teacher at SSMS.

As a part of her community service project for the National Junior Honor Society, Wettstein is organizing a walk on Nov. 6 to raise money for the Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA), which will help children going through treatments for blood disorders.

The walk will support Chronic Refractory ITP and Gardner Diamond Syndrome, which Wettstein’s younger sister Lindsey, a second grader at , suffers from. 

“Together our girls want to bring awareness to all rare blood disorders,” said Michelle Wettstein, Stephanie’s and Lindsey’s stepmother. “We even started a program last year where the girls make and donate pretty hats and headbands to the kids that are going through chemo at their clinic.”

Michelle explained they have organized several “hat days” at SSMS and the elementary schools as a lead-up to Stephanie’s walk. To participate, students donate $1 to the PDSA and then get to wear a fun hat to school for the day.  

In addition, to help Stephanie cope with her changing appearance during treatments, Michelle and a team of international artists painted and photographed Stephanie’s face with humorous designs as it changed from normal to swollen and then back again. The photos are being made into a book and placed in children’s clinics.

“Looks really aren't everything and if you are a good person with good friends who support you, it won’t matter what you look like,” Stephanie said. “You have to keep a sense of humor as much as possible.”

For more information on the PDSA and to support Wettstein’s walk, visit http://pdsa.donorpages.com/RockvilleNYWalk2011/.