Charities

In March of 2021, Neil was exposed to COVID-19. Just 20 years old, he had not yet been eligible for the vaccine even though he juggled multiple jobs which increased his risk of exposure despite adhering to safety measures. While he tested negative, he informed his family he would quarantine responsibly. On March 26th his symptoms set in. He was turned away from the ER on April 3rd, dismissed due to his age. Less than 36 hours later, he was back in the ER with critically low levels of oxygen and unable to breathe. By April 8th, he was on a ventilator and transferred to Penn Presbyterian where he was placed on ECMO and battled COVID-19 for 115 days until his tragic passing on August 1st, 2021. Neil had already built an exceptional legacy for himself as an outstanding community member, Upper Merion Class President of 2019, a Penn Shreyers Honors College student, a Sapphire Business Leader, a dedicated musician, baseball catcher and performing artist. Most of all, his family and friends remember him as someone who lived with joy and sought to bring out the radiance of others. He has been described by teachers as a once in a generation individual and his legacy continues here at NEILSTRONG where our mission is to further the work he was most passionate about. The impact he made in his short but meaningful life was immeasurable. Now the positive ripples he cast continue as we build a community of positive action dedicated to furthering the projects, people and passions he cared most about.