Students in Leetonia open their hearts to help those who have ha - WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren Ohio
Member Center:
Leetonia High School hosted a pep assembly Friday afternoon, ahead of its homecoming basketball game. Most of the student body opted not to wear the school's colors. However, it's not because the students in Leetonia lack school spirit. In fact, it's quite the opposite.
The Leetonia boys basketball team takes on McDonald Friday night and while the heated match up is the reason for the pep assembly, it's not the only cause students in Leetonia are rallying around.
"It is really cool just to see them care about a cause and care about people. You know, it started because they cared about me, but now they are expanding," said Michele Janci of Leetonia.
As part of Wear Red Day, the student body was encouraged to wear red to raise awareness about heart disease and its impacts on women. Women, like Michele Janci, who last year received a pacemaker after suffering congestive heart failure. Her son Luke recalls learning the news.
"I never really thought she would have heart problems. I knew she had a heart murmur before that and my dad does too, but nothing really that severe. So once I found that out, I was really surprised by that and I felt really bad for her and we all did," said Luke Janci of Leetonia.
So before a basketball game last year, Luke and three his friends shaved hearts into their hair to support Michele. This year, they got the entire school on board to open their hearts to help those who've had heart complications.
"I can't say enough how much our students step up to these challenges, volunteer their services, their time and rally around one another," said Leetonia High School prinicpal Troy Radinsky.
"I hope they just pay attention to the bigger picture of it and just because I have experienced it in my family and I really found out it is a hard disease to live with," said Luke Janci.
There is another reason behind why this cause is so important to the school. The boy's basketball coach also has a pacemaker.
As tick populations and the threats they pose increase across the United States, people need to know how to deal with them, a skin doctor suggests.
More >>As tick populations and the threats they pose increase across the United States, people need to know how to deal with them, a skin doctor suggests.
More >>Earlier this month, superstar Lady Gaga took to social media to announce that she has long struggled with fibromyalgia.
More >>Earlier this month, superstar Lady Gaga took to social media to announce that she has long struggled with fibromyalgia.
More >>Grit and determination are not necessarily ingrained. Rather, they're qualities learned from a very young age, a new lab experiment demonstrates.
More >>Grit and determination are not necessarily ingrained. Rather, they're qualities learned from a very young age, a new lab experiment demonstrates.
More >>Kidney dialysis patients in the United States have high rates of prescriptions for opioid painkillers and many also receive high doses of the potentially addictive drugs, a new study finds.
More >>Kidney dialysis patients in the United States have high rates of prescriptions for opioid painkillers and many also receive high doses of the potentially addictive drugs, a new study finds.
More >>If mom is an insomniac, her kids are likely to be poor sleepers, too.
More >>If mom is an insomniac, her kids are likely to be poor sleepers, too.
More >>A combination antibody strategy could be the key to halting the spread of HIV, according to results from two promising animal studies.
More >>A combination antibody strategy could be the key to halting the spread of HIV, according to results from two promising animal studies.
More >>The nicotine in e-cigarette vapor may cause adrenaline levels to spike in the heart, potentially increasing risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death, a new study reports.
More >>The nicotine in e-cigarette vapor may cause adrenaline levels to spike in the heart, potentially increasing risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death, a new study reports.
More >>Rising death rates from opioid abuse are chipping away at Americans' life expectancy, a U.S. government study finds.
More >>Rising death rates from opioid abuse are chipping away at Americans' life expectancy, a U.S. government study finds.
More >>As much joy as a pet can bring to the life of its human, when a beloved dog or cat falls ill, the emotional toll can be high.
More >>As much joy as a pet can bring to the life of its human, when a beloved dog or cat falls ill, the emotional toll can be high.
More >>Kids who start playing tackle football before age 12 have a higher risk of mental and behavioral problems in adulthood than their counterparts who began playing at older ages, a new study suggests.
More >>Kids who start playing tackle football before age 12 have a higher risk of mental and behavioral problems in adulthood than their counterparts who began playing at older ages, a new study suggests.
More >> | 
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2017 WFMJ. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms |
