Justin Baustert Photo
Students are with FOXG1 children with Bella wearing orange. Sister, Sofia, is on the back row right, and Lilian Hart, wearing blue, is student body president and voice of spirit week.
Justin Baustert Photo
The Giordani family after running the 5K Saturday morning.
Justin Baustert Photo
"This is one of my favorite photos to date," Justin Baustert a senior at Eastside, said. "It isn't a technically superior photo but Sofia watching the video her family made explaining FOXG1 and about her sister, Bella, made this special."
Justin Baustert Photo
Sofia Giordani gets hugged after the viewing of the video explaining FOXG1.
Bella Giordani is the sister of Eastside student, Sofia.
Bella has a rare mental disorder with an as rare name – FOXG1 syndrome. It is a condition characterized by impaired development and structural brain abnormalities. Affected infants are small at birth, and their heads grow more slowly than normal, leading to an unusually small head size (microcephaly) by early childhood.
Reportedly only two children in South Carolina have the disease. Bella is one of 300 children world-wide.
Eastside students have set an event-filled week to raise money for research and care for children with FOXG1. The students traditionally raise more than $100,000 during Spirit Week and are already working raising funds for the International FOXG1 Foundation. Ileana Giordani is the founder of the foundation.
The annual 5k run was held Saturday and students have set up profit share days with restaurants to help raise awareness and funds.
The students will find out their grand total raised for the foundation Friday night after the Union at Eastside football game.