Westside High School has a real comedienne in the student body and did not know it. John Fleshman, an eleventh grade student at the school, had kept his talent hidden. Fleshman is a polite, well-mannered young man, who is usually quiet. But, while he was in Alan Stiltner's photography class, he would sometimes tell jokes to his classmates and teacher. They thought he was very funny and felt that other students would enjoy listening to him. They told him he should do a preformance for the other students in the school.
Thus, an idea was born. He decided that he would do it and use the ticket money to help his fellow classmate, Aaron Scott. Scott recently had a bone marrow transplant in his on-going fight against cancer. Fleshman was given permission to perform in front of his classmates during one of the lunch periods. Fleshman worked up a comedy act and practiced before his friends. He gave his performance on Friday Nov. 1, before a large, appreciative audience.
He was a big success. His ticket sales allowed him to donate over $400 to the Aaron Scott Foundation. This is a remarkable story, but not only for the fact that Fleshman, who had never performed before, had the courage to appear before a large audience of his peers and teachers. The fact that makes the story even more remarkable is that he is also a fighter. For several years he has been fighting his own battle with a rare disease that causes the growth of non-malignant tumors in his body. Fleshman is truly an exceptional young man. He is the son of Mike and Tammy Fleshman of Oceana.
Above article taken from the Independent Herald.
John presents the money he earned from his comedy routine to Mrs. Terry Scott to help with her son, Aaron's Medical costs. Also pictured are: Sarah Thompson, Mrs. Marsh, Principal; Cassie Brown and Jessica Brown.
