Firefighter to raise money for spina bifida

AUSTINTOWN -- Austintown Firefighter John Fritz has donned 40 pounds of gear and plans to wear it for 24 hours, ending at 9 a.m. Saturday, to help support Spina Bifida Awareness Month.
The event is part of a Tri-County Spina Bifida Association 24-hour fund-raiser and bake sale at Wal-Mart on Mahoning Avenue. Funds raised will buy or repair equipment for spina bifida patients not covered by insurance.
Fritz wears full gear including an air pack and will be at the store with an Austintown fire/rescue truck that will be open for tours.
Spina bifida affects about 1 in 1,000 newborns in the United States, It results from a spinal birth defect in the first month of pregnancy. It causes various degrees of impairment, from bowel and bladder control problems to paralysis and hydrocephalus -- "water on the brain."
Researchers recommend that women of child-bearing age take a daily multi-vitamin containing folic acid, which can reduce the risk of the birth defect.