Wednesday, January 24, 2001
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Wednesday, January 24, 2001 |
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Team Jonathan to be honored by Respesses
Team Jonathan, a group of youths who have worked to honor the memory of Jonathan Respess, a Fayette County High School junior who lost his life to a sudden cardiac arrest to heart arrhythmia in May 1999, will be honored themselves next week. Mike and Beth Respess, Jonathan's parents, will honor the teens with a celebration dinner Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Ruby Tuesday in Peachtree City. "There is no way that we can express how much having the support of these young people has meant to us," said Beth Respess. "They have filled our home with laughter, given us a reason to bake chocolate chip cookies and have the pizza man knock at our door once again. "They have given us a reason to believe our son will not be forgotten," she said. She said her son was an apparently healthy, active 16-year-old with no history of heart problems. Beth and her husband were not aware of heart arrhythmia and its symptoms. She says she believes that with more information about the condition, she might have been able to save her son. To increase awareness of and raise funds for arrhythmia research, especially in children and teens, the Respesses formed Team Jonathan through the American Heart Association. The group is composed of about 25 of Jonathan's friends who are seniors at FCHS. They have given of their time since the group formed last spring. Although the students are active in sports, academic, civic and church organizations, as well as holding down part time jobs, they rearranged their schedules to attend Saturday meetings at the Respesses' and participate in fund-raising activities throughout the year. Team Jonathan has raised approximately $20,000 for the Heart Association.
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