Wish for More Birthdays founders Susan and Matt Aprahamian
All of them former classmates at the University of Richmond, Matt and Susan Aprahamian had remained close with Kathy Engman over the years. So when they found out their dear friend had brain cancer, they were devastated. Engman was 46 years old with three daughters, and her chances of celebrating her 50th birthday were slim. According to the National Library of Medicine, the median survival period for a glioblastoma patient like Engman is 15 months.
Now 52, Engman has beaten the odds and is in full remission. To celebrate, the Aprahamians have launched Wish for More Birthdays, a special line of birthday candles in her honor.
“The purpose is simple: more birthdays, less cancer,” Susan Aprahamian says. “The whole company was started so that we can all be together in the fight against cancer.”
Aprahamian and her husband run the company out of their home with Kelly Johnson and Suzanne Cipolla, two of their friends, and no one takes a salary. After covering costs, all net proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. So far this year, they’ve committed more than $50,000 to the charity.
Since 1946, the American Cancer Society has invested more than $5 billion in research grants to top scientists around the country.
“Kathy has had two brain surgeries, and she went through a lot of trials and immunotherapy at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland,” Aprahamian says. “The American Cancer Society helped fund her trials. The research out there is amazing, but it needs to happen sooner, and we need more early screening.”
Aprahamian and her husband got the idea to produce birthday candles from an old American Cancer Society ad campaign with the tagline “Official Sponsor of Birthdays.” When they discovered the ad originated with Richmond’s Martin Agency, it felt like their project was meant to be. They brainstormed over the years, and then with time on their hands during the pandemic, they finally made their idea a reality.
“I called the director of philanthropy for the American Cancer Society’s southeast region, and he loved the idea,” Aprahamian says. “We met every few weeks to secure the partnership, and the ultimate goal is to have Wish for More Birthdays pushed out through all their channels.”
While the Aprahamians’ youngest child is a college freshman this year, the empty nesters have been taking a real-life course in business, scouring the globe for manufacturers, coming up with the best design and exploring distribution options.
“It’s definitely been a learning curve,” Aprahamian says. “It’s a more complicated process than we anticipated. It’s amazing how many people develop products.”
Chris Hull with HeliumStudio in Richmond created the logo and website for Wish for More Birthdays, and Watermark in Charlottesville developed the box design. Their initial order was for 90,000 boxes of 24 candles each. The boutique-style box is eye-catching, and the candles are about half an inch taller than typical birthday candles. Boxes of candles come in all white; pink, white and gold; and blue, silver and white.
“Pink has been really popular right now for October’s breast cancer awareness month, but eventually we’d love a special type of candle to represent each kind of cancer,” Aprahamian says.
Right now, shoppers can find Wish for More Birthdays on Amazon or locally at Libbie Market, Pearl’s Bake Shoppe, Westhampton Pastry Shop and Ukrop’s Market Hall. The company’s goal is to have its birthday candles in all major grocery stores and bakeries to increase visibility and funding for the American Cancer Society.
Aprahamian hopes shoppers will be willing to spend a few more dollars for a good cause that touches so many people. According to a recent poll by CBS News, 54% of Americans say they or someone in their immediate family has been diagnosed with cancer.
A constant source of hope, Engman inspires the Aprahamians as they work each day to grow the business.
“She had an MRI a couple of weeks ago and is still looking great,” Aprahamian says. “She’s positive and healthy, living day to day. Her youngest daughter just started her first year at UVA, and it was such a blessing she was able to send her off.”
Aprahamian says Engman has forever changed her perspective on birthdays: Instead of dreading another year turning older, everyone should celebrate another journey around the sun.
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