Parkside Elementary Walks For Local Girl

Published May 1st, 2008

By Nicol Jenkins
Editor

Parkside Elementary School in Coral Springs recently hosted Walk-To-Win where students walked around the grounds of the school on behalf of Brieanna Yowell, a local girl who needs a double lung transplant. Yowell, a 13-year-old girl from Coral Springs, was born with Cystic Fibrosis and on a daily basis she struggles with breathing. After years of treatment, her doctors have recommended a double lung transplant, which will take place at Shands Children’s Hospital. She is currently on the transplant list.

Parents of Parkside students donated sponsorships for the occasion and all the money raised went to The Children’s Organ Transplant Association in Brieanna’s name.

“One of our previous students Amber Corona came to us because she wanted to help Brieanna. Then, we went to our student government with the idea,” said principal Susan Colton.

Amber Corona decided to begin the effort at Parkside because she is a former student at the school, and her grandfather Gary Cogswell had a double lung transplant before passing away on Christmas Eve.

“My daughter and I thought it would be a great idea to have the elementary kids at Parkside do something for Brieanna,” said Amber’s mother Julie Corona, who along with her mother Judy Cogswell, said her family underwrote a $10,000 sponsorship for another event, the Clean-Up for a Cure and Brieanna’s Birthday Bash.