Jamarie Payton, 17, needs life-saving heart surgery at a specialty clinic in Minnesota – and his mother, Rhonda, seeks help in getting herself and her son across country in time for his first appointment on Tuesday, Sept. 9. Jamarie has already had one open-heart surgery, but he needs more specialized treatment to ease his chronic pericarditis. Financial assistance for the $50,000 cost of surgery might be arranged through the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., but Rhonda hopes someone in the community may be able to help out with airplane tickets. Contributions – or perhaps a couple of cross-country frequent flyer passes? – can be sent to Vancouver Pop Warner, PO Box 70177, Vancouver, WA, 98665, attention Jamarie Payton. For more information about the Pop Warner League, go to www.vancouverwarriors.org. Reach Rhonda Payton at 360-258-0631.
