Northview students dance to aid teacher

Math teacher Christina Comparato, left, hands a bouquet to her colleague Melissa Belcher during the 'Dance for a Dream' fund-raiser at Sylvania Northview High School. Mrs. Belcher has Lou Gehrig's disease. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Northview High School students filled the gymnasium recently to dance and celebrate their mathematics teacher, Melissa Belcher, who learned in late 2010 that she has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Juniors Samantha Good and Amanda Johnson, with help from med tech students, organized the Just Dance for a Dream event Feb. 15 to raise money for a college fund for Mrs. Belcher's sons, Grant, 8, and Aiden, 2.

Students purchased tickets for $1 to enter the dance, along with raffle tickets to win the chance to dance with a teacher, said Nancy Crandell, communications director for Sylvania schools. They also could purchase T-shirts for $10. More than 1,000 people took part in the event, which raised an initial $1,600. That amount is expected to grow as students, staff, friends, and supporters add to the scholarship fund, Ms. Crandell said.

"I'm so honored," Mrs. Belcher, 39, said with tears in her eyes.

ALS, a motor neuron disease, affects the muscles, brain, and spinal cord, said Dr. James Auberle, a neurologist with the Toledo Clinic. There is no cure for the disease.

Robert Wambold, public address announcer for Northview basketball games, spoke before the event on behalf of the ALS Association.

"My mother has ALS," he said to the high school students. "She never, ever quit. She never gave up."

The ALS Association donated 1,000 ALS bracelets for the event.

They were distributed to students who bought admission tickets.

Each of the high school's homerooms created a page in a scrapbook that was given to Mrs. Belcher, who was overcome with emotion when she received the gift from Miss Johnson and Miss Good.

"When I found out she was diagnosed, I cried," Miss Good said. "She is one of the strongest people I've ever met. I knew I wanted to do this for her."

the blade/amy e. voigtMcKenzie Watt, left, Melissa Belcher's son Grant, 8, and Northview Principal Steve Swaggerty dance during the fund-raiser. T-shirts also were sold at the Feb. 15 event. The $1,600 raised is expected to grow as students, staff, friends, and supporters add to the scholarship fund for Mrs. Belcher's two sons. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Mrs. Belcher and her family registered for the Wish upon a Hero program in December and received a trip on a Disney cruise ship, which they will take in April.

This trip was made possible by donations from Northview families and from families of students at Central Catholic High School, where Mrs. Belcher coaches volleyball, along with the Belchers' family and friends.

Northview students created a fund for Mrs. Belcher's sons at Metamora State Bank, 8282 Erie St. in Sylvania.

Donations may be made at the bank addressed to the Belcher boys' scholarship fund.

Dr. Auberle said there is no pattern to how ALS affects a person. It may start in one area and progress throughout the entire body, he said.

"Everybody is an individual. Sometimes they don't live very long. and other folks may have a milder form. It's very variable," he said.

Neurologists test for ALS when a patient has a certain degree of weakness, he said. They will perform a magnetic resonance imaging test, or MRI, of the brain and spine to ensure that there are no structural problems. An electromagnetic muscle test, or EMT, may also be performed to scan the nerves and the muscles, he said.

While there is no cure, "there are some treatments used to deal with the symptoms," Dr. Auberle said. "These treatments can keep people alive much longer. The most important thing is to prevent infections."

Contact Ashley Streichert at: astreichert@theblade.com or 419-206-0356.