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The Valley View student and sports enthusiast found himself slowing down and getting winded quicker. His doctors had always warned his heart condition would need to be re-addressed; they just didn't know when. That day came May 19, 2008, as Josh was scrambling to finish his junior year, and all the while sidelined from playing basketball or weightlifting.
Now, the 19-year-old from Peckville finds himself among more than 200 students who graduated Friday from Valley View High School.
But it's been a long road to his diploma.
Josh was about 11 when he realized he was different.
An active child, he was ordered by his doctors to stop playing football. The mix of summer heat, heavy equipment and natural roughness of the sport was not a good recipe for someone with tetralogy of Fallot -- a congenital heart condition in which not enough blood is able to reach the lungs to get oxygen, and oxygen-poor blood flows out to the body.
About 5 in 10,000 babies are born with this condition, according to the American Heart Association.
"I loved football, and I had never dealt with a loss like that before," Josh said. "I was younger and angry with the doctors; I know now why they did it, but that was big for me then."
Doctors had performed heart surgery on Josh when he was 2 months old. He returned yearly for checkups, with doctors thinking he would need valve replacement before the age of 25.
In late 2007, Josh said he realized he was drowsy and tired more than usual. Always active, it took a lot to deal with more orders to cut back on playing sports with his friends.
He said he took to sitting around at home and playing video games while his friends were off playing sports. But friends and teachers still watched out for him.
"My friends always included me. After they were done playing basketball, we'd all go and do something, like go to the movies," Josh said. "And my teachers were real good about helping me and seeing that my health came first.
"I really was grateful for that."
Josh had surgery at Hershey Medical Center in May, and physical education teachers helped him put together a plan to get him back into shape. Now, he's back to playing basketball with friends -- and still likes playing tennis, a sport he picked up as doctors narrowed his choice of sports.
After graduation, Josh is heading to Marywood University to pursue a career in health care.
"I feel like I have some experiences I can share with people and help them face their (health) problems: 'Yeah, it's difficult. But you can make it, ' " Josh said.
Contact the writer: cschillinger@timesshamrock.com Valedictorian
Name: Michelle Thomas
Parents: David and Linda Thomas
Activities: National Honor Society, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Spanish club, tennis
Plans: Marywood University to major in education and mathematics
Salutatorian
Name: Regina Ross
Parents: Frank and Karen Ross
Activities: Student Council, National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Leo club, Spanish club, Parent Teacher Student Association, Students Against Destructive Decisions, tennis
Plans: Temple University to major in actuarial science
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