ST. CLAIRSVILLE — When you look at Eliza Vrotsos you see a beautiful young lady ready to embark on a very exciting new chapter in her life. The recent St. Clairsville High grad heads to Kent State today to start her collegiate career.

What you don’t see is the courage, bravery and mental toughness exhibited by the former Red Devil cross country and track performer in enduring a life filled with major medical hurdles. Though slight in stature she is huge in heart, enabling her to clear every obstacle she has encountered.

Her remarkable battle did not go unnoticed. This past spring, Vrotsos was selected as winner of The Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Courageous Student Award.

There may have never been a more worthy recipient.

Vrotsos’s medical malady checklist includes the following areas: cardiac, endocrinology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, neurology and pulmonary.

Heard enough? It gets more severe.

She was diagnosed with Noonan’s Disease in grade school and later developed spine issues so extensive that she had to have two rods placed in her back for life.

Not to be overlooked is that Vrotsos also dealt with size uses. In grade school, she was not growing at a normal rate so growth hormones were needed in 2013.

While her physical conditions were challenging to say the least, her support system was up to the task.

Her parents (John and Anne Vrotsos) as well as her brother and sister were with her every step of the way. John is a St. Clairsville High teacher and successful Red Devil coach.

“In grade school I really didn’t think much about all the doctor and hospital trips,” Eliza said. “When I was going into my freshman year of high school I finally realized how big a deal it was.

“I developed a special group of friends and my teachers really were helpful because I had to miss a lot of school,” she said. “But if wasn’t for my family I don’t know how I could have gotten through all of this.”

Eliza’s encountered medical issues at birth as two heart problems were detected. After 6-9 months the cardiac woes began to resolve themselves.

“Eliza’s life was normal until the fifth grade when she began to have problems in school with factoring and lines. So we took her to an occupational therapist (Allison Stoner),” Anne Vrotsos said. “Allison discovered Noonan’s Syndrome. I don’t know where we would be if it wasn’t for Allison.”

Noonan’s Syndrome is a genetic disorder that prevents normal development in various parts of the body while also possibly having mental implications. Noonan’s Syndrome has some far reaching-medical tentacles resulting in Eliza’s undergoing years of endocrinology, orthopedic, pulmonary, ophthalmology and neurological testing.

Eliza handled it all with a positive attitude only to be dealt a painful blow in the seventh grade. Back issues surfaced, so severe that she had to start wearing a back brace from the summer of 2013 through the spring of 2014.

The brace was an unforgiving hard plastic which she had to wear 23 of 24 hours of the day. It only came off to practice and shower.

Natalie Perzanowski is St. Clairsville’s distance running coach and former prep great, winning two individual state track gold medals while also helping to lead St. John Central to state team championships in 2007 & 2008). She also knows what pain is all about, nearly dying her freshman year after being sucked into a culvert.

“Eliza needed to wear a back brace for 23 out of 24 hours of the day. And when I say “back brace“, it almost sounds comfortable; however, it looked to be the farthest from comfortable or convenient. It took up her entire torso and was made of hard plastic,” Perzanowski said. “She never complained once – not of pain, not because she had to take time off, not for having to work ten times harder to rehabilitate herself.

“Watching Eliza battle through her difficulties over the years really highlighted her mental and physical toughness,” she continued. “I began to learn more about what a tough kid she is and how much she loves the sport. When most others would have given up for much less in terms of difficulty, Eliza kept pushing through the discomfort and frustration.”

Unfortunately, the back-brace ordeal didn’t prove effective. In March 2014, it was determined the Eliza needed spine surgery. The five-hour procedure resulted in two rods being permanently being placed in her back.

“It was the longest five hours John and I had to go through. Fortunately, they kept updating us during the surgery,” Anne Vrotsos said. “John likes to note that she came out of surgery two inches taller. That is how crooked her spine was.”

Eliza’s remarkable grit and determination was exhibited once again. Shortly after surgery, she and her mom began training for the annual Sam Mumley Distance Race. Eliza won her age division in the walking portion of the classic just six weeks after surgery. (Mom took home third in hers.)

That set the stage for Eliza’s high school career.

She was not allowed to resume running until November. Consequently, she was relegated to walking at cross country. To her credit, she never missed a practice.

Eliza was up and running for track season, only to be snake-bit once again. She incurred a broken femur. She was only able to compete in one meet and was forced to use crutches.

The sophomore year proved much kinder. Eliza enjoyed a strong cross-country season. So much so, she was selected as the team’s Most Improved Performer. She also navigated through a healthy track season.

After a junior season that posed no serious problems, pain reared its ugly head during Eliza’s senior season.

A hip injury played havoc with her cross country campaign. She competed but the injury never allowed her to reach her potential.

Eliza was forced to go through physical therapy all winter and still needed a hip injection to get through her final track season. All the while, she never let on to her coaches about her ailing hip.

“I knew if I told my coaches my hip was hurting that they would make me take time off,” she said. “I couldn’t afford to take time off and miss out on my senior year. So, I dealt with the pain and we won the OVAC.”

Eliza noted that she is currently feeling fine.

“When Eliza was diagnosed with Noonan’s Syndrome, all of our isolated concerns quickly turned to into an overwhelming worry about the unknown. Every test result gave Eliza a new hurdle to overcome, left her feeling ‘different’, and often kept her from participating in many activities,” Anne Vrotsos said. “In dealing with these challenges, having the guidance of older siblings has had a profound influence on helping Eliza to direct her focus and attitude. She found the importance of making the most of the things that she could do, and of taking pride in personal accomplishments.

“Also, with the added support of her teammates and coaches, Eliza found the courage to stay involved and work through her difficult times. These experiences have contributed to her compassion and interest in helping others,” she added. ” We are so proud of Eliza’s determination and positivity, and her ability to persevere through it all.”

Eliza plans to major in occupational therapy. She has chosen that field since it was an occupational therapist who first identified the possible genetic link to her symptoms.

“While I was living through my problems, I saw another part of life…making the best of things and looking on the bright side helped me to overcome ‘feeling different.’ I learned to appreciate the small things in my life,” Eliza said. “My differences made me the person I am today, For me, the twists and turns of scoliosis are the twists and turns of my life!”

The guidelines to be considered for the OHSAA Courageous Student Award. are as follows:

1. A student who has overcome a serious illness, injury or disability;

2. A student who has overcome great adversity in a positive way;

3. A student who has displayed tremendous courage against overwhelming odds.

It is safe to say, Eliza Vrotsos has checked the box on all three.