Sale Creek High School is going all out to strongly back student-athlete Tayla Willis’ fight against myocarditis.
Willis, who has been unable to participate with the Lady Panthers’ volleyball team during her senior season. She has had two long hospital stays, one in the Cardia Care Unit at Erlanger. Also, Willis wore a defibrillator/monitor vest for several weeks and will go to Vanderbilt Hospital for additional testing.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium), according to information posted on the Mayo Clinic website.
Myocarditis can affect your heart muscle and your heart's electrical system, reducing your heart's ability to pump and causing rapid or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).
A viral infection usually causes myocarditis, but it can result from a reaction to a drug or be part of a more general inflammatory condition. Signs and symptoms include chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and arrhythmias.
Severe myocarditis weakens your heart so that the rest of your body doesn't get enough blood. Clots can form in your heart, leading to a stroke or heart attack.
While going through treatment for her condition, Willis has been attending school and working a part-time job. She hopes to, following a stress test next month, join the Lady Panthers’ basketball team.
Thousands of otherwise healthy people are diagnosed with myocarditis each year in the United States. A viral infection is one cause of the myocarditis.
Starting Friday, which is World Heart Day, Sale Creek volleyball and girls’ basketball teams will provide red ribbons to wear that will bring attention to Tayla’s battle against myocarditis.
The school’s plan for benefit activities run through Oct. 13. People wishing to participate with a check should make them out to Sale Creek School and the goal is to raise $1,000 for the Willis family to help with medical and travel expenses.
The activities include a taco dinner; a silicone bracelet sale; a T-shirt sale; selling bake sale items at volleyball matches and donations.
Anyone interested in taking part in these activities can do so by making contact with volleyball and girls basketball players or Debbie Hill at 423-322-7836.
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)