With one click of a button, you can change someone’s life. This is what one Tyrone teacher and her tenth-grade biology students managed to do for a local four-year-old with a rare genetic disorder.  

Through Facebook, Biology teacher Beth Cannistraci learned that a local boy named Eddie Coltabaugh suffers from DiGeorge Syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that affects the twenty-second chromosome at the q11.2 location. Symptoms include spasms in the mouth, throat, arm, or hand, respiratory problems, infections, delayed growth and poor muscle tone, seizures, hypoparathyroidism, and other developmental delays like speech or learning.

Eddie has a feeding tube and wears a feeding backpack during the day and is attached to an IV pole at night. He is non-verbal and is on approximately 12 medications a day. He has seizures and is learning disabled. But much more importantly, according to his mom, Eddie is a fun, funny, happy, and extremely social and loving child with a wicked sense of humor. He loves being outside and anything water related.

Because she was teaching a unit on genetics at the time, Cannistraci saw Eddie’s story as an opportunity to reach out and help others while teaching her students a real-life biology lesson.

In order to help her students better understand genetic disorders and help out Eddie and his family, Cannistraci started the “Change Matters” campaign to raise money to help Eddie’s family pay for medical expenses.  

“I really liked this project a lot because not only are we helping Eddie and his family, but we are also raising awareness about genetic illnesses,” said sophomore Seth Dell.

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The fundraiser was similar to YAN’s “Penny Wars” campaign at TAHS. Students brought in coins, which give them positive points, or dollars, that took away points from other classes. All of Mrs. Cannistraci’s 10th-grade biology classes participated in this fundraiser, bringing in their spare change and bills. Some students donated $10 or $20 to get some light-hearted revenge on other TAHS students.

In only one week the students in Cannistraci’s classes raised a total of $1049.50 for Eddie and his family.

After the campaign, Cannistraci hosted an assembly for all of the 10th-grade classes to present Eddie and his family with the money raised. Over 50 people attended the assembly to see Eddie and his mom. Students created a poster, welcoming Eddie to Tyrone.

During the assembly, Cannistraci’s fourth-period biology class presented Eddie’s family with a large hand-drawn check, and fifth period gave their family a homemade card. Other periods handed Eddie gifts, a toy truck from sixth period a wiener dog plushie from second period. Eddie’s was clearly very excited, even signing the words “thank you” to the crowd.

“The ‘Change Matters’ event has truly been one of the most moving and heartfelt fundraisers I have ever been a part of. Eddie and this family deserve every penny donated,” said sophomore Nick Vasbinder.

Many students were moved by Eddie and his story after the event. Some student’s families pitched in their own money after the fundraiser to further support Eddie’s family.

Students thought the project had a great impact on the community, and they were to help people with genetic disorders like Eddie.

“I loved the project. I’m so happy that I could help Eddie and I hope we continue doing the Change Matters campaign every year, “ said sophomore Olivia Reese.

With such an amazing turn out with the “Change Matters” fundraiser and the assembly for Eddie, Cannistraci was impressed by the generosity of her students.

“I’ve never seen [students] so excited about doing a project in all the years and different projects that I’ve done, so it’s been super special,” said Cannistraci.