East cheerleader mourned

The junior who would have turned 17 Thursday collapsed Wednesday and died.

By Harold Gwin

YOUNGSTOWN — Thursday was Jabraya Howell’s 17th birthday.

Her family and friends had planned to celebrate with an after-school party, complete with balloons in East High School’s colors of baby blue, black and white.

Instead of celebrating her birth with her, they celebrated her life without her — releasing the helium-filled balloons that were to be a part of the party decorations Thursday afternoon.

Some 60 family members and friends gathered on her front lawn, sang “Happy Birthday” and then released the balloons, not moving until the balloons had drifted out of sight across Interstate 680.

There were tears, hugs and shouts of, “We love you, Jabraya.”

Jabraya died Wednesday after she collapsed during an after-school cheerleading practice at East High School. She was later pronounced dead at St. Elizabeth Health Center.

Her parents, Crystal and Michael Howell, clearly stunned by what had happened, were at a loss to explain her death.

She hadn’t complained about being ill, and Wednesday was a regular day for her, her mother said, noting that she dropped off Jabraya at the bus stop that morning and told her she would see her later.

Crystal Howell said she received a telephone call from members of Jabraya’s cheerleading squad Wednesday afternoon, urging her to get to East High School as quickly as possible because Jabraya had fainted and wasn’t breathing.

She said she found Principal Holly Seimetz performing CPR on her daughter when she arrived. Efforts by the school staff, paramedics and emergency-room staff at St. Elizabeth’s failed to revive her.

Contrary to early reports, Jabraya hadn’t complained of feeling ill shortly before she collapsed, Seimetz said.

Jabraya did suffer from asthma as a child, but her parents don’t think that is linked to her death. It generally affected her now only when she had a cold, her mother said.

Michael Howell said authorities told the family that an autopsy would be performed today to determine the cause of death.

The high school junior loved children and was already making plans to work in the child-care field after completing high school, Crystal Howell said. She was taking child-care classes at Choffin Career & Technical Center and wanted to operate her own day-care program.

“She was really popular,” said Superintendent Wendy Webb. “This young lady was very well thought of.”

The school’s crisis-response team was activated for classes Thursday, and grief counselors were available at all schools in the district to meet with students. The district will continue to provide that service as long as needed, Webb said, noting that some children were very upset by the news.

Members of her family joined the cheerleading squad and others at East High School on Thursday morning for a brief memorial service and celebration of Jabraya’s life.

“She was loved by everybody,” her mother said.

“She loved everybody. She was very gracious. Big heart,” her father added.

Jabraya really enjoyed cheerleading, he said, noting that she was a cheerleader at Chaney High School for two years before the family moved to a new home and into the East High School district.

She made the squad there this fall, Michael Howell said, adding, “That’s what she loved to do.”

Jabraya enjoyed dancing and going to parties, her mother said, adding that her daughter also spent time on the computer, working on her MySpace and Facebook pages, and talking on her cell phone. She attended the Church of God In Christ in Campbell.

De’Asia Daniels, also an East junior, said she and Jabraya were best friends and were both on the East cheerleading squad for a time.

They met 18 months ago but bonded immediately, De’Asia said.

“We just got real close as soon as we met. We just clicked,” she said. “It was like we had the same personality. She talked to me about everything.”

“She was a good person. She was friendly to everybody,” De’Asia said, describing Jabraya as outgoing and someone who liked to have a good time. She said she can’t believe that her friend has died.

“Jabraya was very humorous, a very hard worker, always full of spirit and energy,” said Annie Terry, a Youngstown schoolteacher and adviser to the cheerleading squad.

Terry was at her job in Williamson Elementary School when Jabraya collapsed but was quickly called to the school. Her assistant, Ashlie Vickers, had been running the practice and immediately began performing CPR on Jabraya after she collapsed. She was joined in that effort by Seimetz, Terry said, adding, “We did everything we could.”

“My girls are just devastated,” Terry said. “She was well loved.”

The squad has a performance scheduled for Saturday in Beeghly Center at Youngstown State University for a breast-cancer awareness program.

The plan was to dedicate the performance to all of the Youngstown teachers who have suffered from the disease, but the dedication now will include Jabraya, Terry said.

No one will take her place during the routine. Her spot will remain vacant as though she was still there, Terry said.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the L.E. Black, Phillips and Holden Funeral Home, 1951 McGuffey Road, where friends may call from noon to 6 p.m. next Friday and from 9 a.m. until the 10 a.m. service Oct. 31.

gwin@vindy.com