Gracin Murarescu named poster child for 2017 HCSCA Ernie Blankenship Telethon
Lead Summary
By
Caitlin Forsha-crforsha@gmail.com
New Vienna Elementary student Gracin Murarescu has been chosen as this year’s poster child for the annual Ernie Blankenship Radio-Telethon for the Highland County Society for Children and Adults.
This is the 45th telethon and the fifth one since being renamed in honor of longtime telethon emcee Blankenship. The 2017 telethon is set for Wednesday, March 29 from 6-9 p.m. and will be held at the uptown Hillsboro US Bank branch, located at 101 West Main Street. The telethon will be broadcast on the local community access channel of the Time Warner Cable System and WSRW AM 1590 and 101.5 FM. In Greenfield, the event will be broadcast from 6-9 p.m. from the McClain High School Media Room on the local community access channel of Time Warner Cable System, along with broadcasts on radio station WVNU FM 97.5.
Gracin, 6, is a kindergarten student at New Vienna Elementary and lives in Lynchburg with his parents, Sorin and Jodi, and big sister Colie, 9, who is a third grader at New Vienna Elementary.
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Gracin has Down syndrome, which “occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21,” according to the National Down Syndrome Society (ndss.org). It is the “most commonly occurring chromosomal condition,” affecting one in every 700 babies born in the United States.
“All people with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, but the effect is usually mild to moderate and is not indicative of the many strengths and talents that each individual possesses,” according to the NDSS. “Quality educational programs, a stimulating home environment, good health care and positive support from family, friends and the community enable people with Down syndrome to lead fulfilling and productive lives.”
“Positive support” has been a major factor in Gracin’s life, with a loving family, a nurturing school environment and assistance from the Highland County Society for Children and Adults.
The Murarescus first became involved with the Society after the Society helped pay for a pair of special glasses for Gracin, as his mom said “people with Down syndrome are very hard to fit with glasses.”
“You can’t just go with a cheap frame, so his are a little more expensive, and he has to have special lenses,” Jodi Murarescu said. “After insurance, we still had a hefty bill, so one of his teachers at school knew about the society and said, ‘I think they can help you.’”
Murarescu said that working with the society is “the easiest thing I have ever done.”
“She asked me like five questions on the phone, they sent the check to our eye doctor and that was it,” Murarescu said. “This was so easy. The income didn’t make any difference. They just said, ‘OK, this is what we can do,’ and they sent it. I couldn’t believe how easy it was.”
Society director Gayle Coss said that the Society tries to keep things simple, as she and her assistant, Carol Colville, take calls from home and operate everything with paper records.
“We do it more on an old-fashioned gentleman’s agreement,” Coss said. “We don’t require the tax forms or have you fill out a lot of forms, and Carol and I don’t ask a lot of questions.”
Murarescu said that people with Down syndrome are “very open and loving,” and she is happy to have Gracin representing the Society as well as showing the community that he’s “just like” any other 6-year-old boy.
“He talks to everyone, everywhere we go,” Murarescu said. “I was really excited they selected Gracin because I think a lot of people don’t really realize what Down syndrome is. I think there’s a lot of misinformation out there, that they can’t do everything that everyone else can do, or just basic stereotypes.
“I think this is a cool way to get more information out, and they can see Gracin and see that he’s just like everyone else.”
Gracin said that his favorite hobby is playing outside, where he likes to swing. He also enjoys playing with his sister Colie and loves music and watching TV, especially “Spongebob Squarepants.” He has two miniature schnauzers, Mickey and Maggie, and a fish named Swimmy. His favorite foods include pizza, macaroni and cheese and M&Ms.
Gracin loves school, where he has “lots of friends.” He said his favorite activity at school is playing at recess, and he said he also likes his teachers. Murarescu said the East Clinton School District’s support for Gracin and willingness to work with the family has been “great.”
“They were great with Colie, but the things that they’ve done with Gracin, we’ve had no fight for anything,” Murarescu said. “They really stepped up to the plate.
“They’ve included him in everything. It was difficult when my husband and I were thinking of him going to school. It’s scary to send any kid to school, but when we were first sending him to school, he was nonverbal, so he wasn’t able to come home and tell us what we going on during his day. The teachers just stepped up and send papers home every single day of what he had done. You don’t find that everywhere.”
The school district is also raising money to support the telethon this year.
“It’s like an extended family,” Murarescu said. “We have found a lot of extended family. For whatever reason, we just didn’t realize it before.”
During the week before the telethon, Gracin and his family will be celebrating World Down Syndrome Day on March 21, with the Murarescus promoting the event at the elementary school. The event will include “Crazy Sock Day,” one of the activities associated with the event nationwide.
“We send out a flier about Down syndrome, and Gracin’s class gets crazy socks,” Murarescu said. “Last year, throughout the whole day, we took pictures of all the classes with their crazy socks on.”
Murarescu pointed out that the national event falls on March 21 “to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome,” as described by the World Down Syndrome Day website (https://worlddownsyndromeday.org).
Murarescu said that raising Gracin has been “like seeing the world for the first time” for her family.
“In life, you have so many expectations,” Murarescu said. “When we had Colie, we expected her to walk by the time she was 1, we expected her to be using sentences, things like that. With Gracin, the expectations were gone, so you can really appreciate things a lot more because you can take the time. When he does make a milestone, it’s so much bigger of an occasion for our family.
“We just look at things in a whole different perspective.”
Coss encouraged the community to attend this year’s telethons in person and thanked local residents and businesses for their ongoing support. Coss also praised healthcare providers in the county, including dentists, optometrists and doctors, for their support of the Society over the years.
“We have some providers in the county that don’t charge us,” Coss said. “There’s been a time or two we’ve sent a big check, and they never cash it, or they’ll write ‘void’ on it and send it back. People help in a lot of different ways to give back to the community.”
Since 1997, the society has raised over $100,000 each year, helping thousands of adults and children across Highland County. The two Rotary Clubs raised over $105,000 during the 2016 event, all of which is used by the Society to provide assistance and services to Highland County children and adults who have extraordinary expenses for necessary medical treatment, transportation, equipment and other health care devices. It works in conjunction with other local government and private agencies to provide financial assistance to Highland County residents who have medical expenses not covered by insurance or other programs.
Pledges may be mailed to: HCSCA, P.O. Box 258, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133.
This is the 45th telethon and the fifth one since being renamed in honor of longtime telethon emcee Blankenship. The 2017 telethon is set for Wednesday, March 29 from 6-9 p.m. and will be held at the uptown Hillsboro US Bank branch, located at 101 West Main Street. The telethon will be broadcast on the local community access channel of the Time Warner Cable System and WSRW AM 1590 and 101.5 FM. In Greenfield, the event will be broadcast from 6-9 p.m. from the McClain High School Media Room on the local community access channel of Time Warner Cable System, along with broadcasts on radio station WVNU FM 97.5.
Gracin, 6, is a kindergarten student at New Vienna Elementary and lives in Lynchburg with his parents, Sorin and Jodi, and big sister Colie, 9, who is a third grader at New Vienna Elementary.
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Gracin has Down syndrome, which “occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21,” according to the National Down Syndrome Society (ndss.org). It is the “most commonly occurring chromosomal condition,” affecting one in every 700 babies born in the United States.
“All people with Down syndrome experience cognitive delays, but the effect is usually mild to moderate and is not indicative of the many strengths and talents that each individual possesses,” according to the NDSS. “Quality educational programs, a stimulating home environment, good health care and positive support from family, friends and the community enable people with Down syndrome to lead fulfilling and productive lives.”
“Positive support” has been a major factor in Gracin’s life, with a loving family, a nurturing school environment and assistance from the Highland County Society for Children and Adults.
The Murarescus first became involved with the Society after the Society helped pay for a pair of special glasses for Gracin, as his mom said “people with Down syndrome are very hard to fit with glasses.”
“You can’t just go with a cheap frame, so his are a little more expensive, and he has to have special lenses,” Jodi Murarescu said. “After insurance, we still had a hefty bill, so one of his teachers at school knew about the society and said, ‘I think they can help you.’”
Murarescu said that working with the society is “the easiest thing I have ever done.”
“She asked me like five questions on the phone, they sent the check to our eye doctor and that was it,” Murarescu said. “This was so easy. The income didn’t make any difference. They just said, ‘OK, this is what we can do,’ and they sent it. I couldn’t believe how easy it was.”
Society director Gayle Coss said that the Society tries to keep things simple, as she and her assistant, Carol Colville, take calls from home and operate everything with paper records.
“We do it more on an old-fashioned gentleman’s agreement,” Coss said. “We don’t require the tax forms or have you fill out a lot of forms, and Carol and I don’t ask a lot of questions.”
Murarescu said that people with Down syndrome are “very open and loving,” and she is happy to have Gracin representing the Society as well as showing the community that he’s “just like” any other 6-year-old boy.
“He talks to everyone, everywhere we go,” Murarescu said. “I was really excited they selected Gracin because I think a lot of people don’t really realize what Down syndrome is. I think there’s a lot of misinformation out there, that they can’t do everything that everyone else can do, or just basic stereotypes.
“I think this is a cool way to get more information out, and they can see Gracin and see that he’s just like everyone else.”
Gracin said that his favorite hobby is playing outside, where he likes to swing. He also enjoys playing with his sister Colie and loves music and watching TV, especially “Spongebob Squarepants.” He has two miniature schnauzers, Mickey and Maggie, and a fish named Swimmy. His favorite foods include pizza, macaroni and cheese and M&Ms.
Gracin loves school, where he has “lots of friends.” He said his favorite activity at school is playing at recess, and he said he also likes his teachers. Murarescu said the East Clinton School District’s support for Gracin and willingness to work with the family has been “great.”
“They were great with Colie, but the things that they’ve done with Gracin, we’ve had no fight for anything,” Murarescu said. “They really stepped up to the plate.
“They’ve included him in everything. It was difficult when my husband and I were thinking of him going to school. It’s scary to send any kid to school, but when we were first sending him to school, he was nonverbal, so he wasn’t able to come home and tell us what we going on during his day. The teachers just stepped up and send papers home every single day of what he had done. You don’t find that everywhere.”
The school district is also raising money to support the telethon this year.
“It’s like an extended family,” Murarescu said. “We have found a lot of extended family. For whatever reason, we just didn’t realize it before.”
During the week before the telethon, Gracin and his family will be celebrating World Down Syndrome Day on March 21, with the Murarescus promoting the event at the elementary school. The event will include “Crazy Sock Day,” one of the activities associated with the event nationwide.
“We send out a flier about Down syndrome, and Gracin’s class gets crazy socks,” Murarescu said. “Last year, throughout the whole day, we took pictures of all the classes with their crazy socks on.”
Murarescu pointed out that the national event falls on March 21 “to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome,” as described by the World Down Syndrome Day website (https://worlddownsyndromeday.org).
Murarescu said that raising Gracin has been “like seeing the world for the first time” for her family.
“In life, you have so many expectations,” Murarescu said. “When we had Colie, we expected her to walk by the time she was 1, we expected her to be using sentences, things like that. With Gracin, the expectations were gone, so you can really appreciate things a lot more because you can take the time. When he does make a milestone, it’s so much bigger of an occasion for our family.
“We just look at things in a whole different perspective.”
Coss encouraged the community to attend this year’s telethons in person and thanked local residents and businesses for their ongoing support. Coss also praised healthcare providers in the county, including dentists, optometrists and doctors, for their support of the Society over the years.
“We have some providers in the county that don’t charge us,” Coss said. “There’s been a time or two we’ve sent a big check, and they never cash it, or they’ll write ‘void’ on it and send it back. People help in a lot of different ways to give back to the community.”
Since 1997, the society has raised over $100,000 each year, helping thousands of adults and children across Highland County. The two Rotary Clubs raised over $105,000 during the 2016 event, all of which is used by the Society to provide assistance and services to Highland County children and adults who have extraordinary expenses for necessary medical treatment, transportation, equipment and other health care devices. It works in conjunction with other local government and private agencies to provide financial assistance to Highland County residents who have medical expenses not covered by insurance or other programs.
Pledges may be mailed to: HCSCA, P.O. Box 258, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133.