Poly Prep student advocates with Gounardes for public access to EpiPens

November 5, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Lucia Zeremba, a grade 10 student at Poly Prep Country Day. Photo courtesy of Poly Prep

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A 15-year-old student is taking charge with State Senator Andrew Gounardes in the fight for more affordable and accessible EpiPens. Lucia Zeremba, a grade 10 student at Poly Prep Country Day School, met with Andrew Gounardes over the summer to work on passing legislation requiring EpiPens be at all places of public assembly.

The legislation is slated to be introduced in the State Senate on January 4, the first day following the legislative session.

If passed without changes, EpiPens will be present in public schools, restaurants, sporting & concert venues, movie theaters and other facilities, also making it a requirement that relevant employees train to use the EpiPen.

Zeremba witnessed her brother John go into a state of anaphylactic shock six years ago, an event that changed her life. The Zeremba family didn’t realize that John had an allergy, but they had an EpiPen on hand. John, a hard worker and good student, is now a sixth grader at Poly Prep.

Lucia realized that access to an EpiPen saved John’s life, and after contacting Gounardes about her ideas to spread access, she assisted him in the research before the drafting process began. Senator Gounardes lauded Zeremba’s contribution.

“I was just lucky that my mom literally saved my brother’s life,” Zeremba told News12 Brooklyn on Oct. 17, 2022.