The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

jrussell@tribunmedia.net

ELEVEN-year-old Tattiana McNeil spends her time colouring, reading and scoring top grades in her class, but in her spare time, she is tackling the proliferation of heart disease by hosting a charity concert to raise funds for children needing heart surgery.

Tattiana, the head girl graduate from Carleton E Francis, said before she starts grade seven at Queen’s College this fall, she decided to host an “Old Fashioned Sing- Spiration” on June 28 at Christ Community Church, Bellot Road, to raise donations for the Sir Victor Sasson Heart Foundation.

The free-entry concert will include musical performances, testimonies from those who have battled heart disease, and others.

Fighting heart disease is a cause personal to her because her aunt and great-grandmother died from a heart condition. Her grand-mother is struggling with a heart condition currently.

The top student of the year at her school said she loves to sing and dance for her family and previously participated in her uncle’s Feeding the Community initiative.

The upcoming concert will be the first event she has organised.

Tattiana, whose favourite subjects are math science, and reading, wants to be a cardiologist when she grows up.

“I decided that when I go to Queen’s College, I am going to do Family and Consumer Science hoping that I will get to learn a little more like biology and cardiology,” she said.

Latanza Lookie, 35, a single mother, said she is proud that her daughter is passionate about helping those in need.

“I always tell her at the end of the day, once your willing to go as far as you, I’m willing to push you,” she said.

Said Tattiana: “I encourage others to come because my heart really does go out to the kids who have heart conditions and need heart surgeries.”

“You get the chance to help them in their early stage of life. You don’t want in their later stage of life they don’t make it and you know you could of help.”