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Variety Family Highlighted on CBS’ “The Talk”
CBS’ national show "The Talk" featured one of Variety’s own families on their "Heart of the Holidays" segment today. Host Holly Robinson-Peete surprised the family with several special gifts to help the family with their unique needs and challenges.
MaryBeth Emerich is a single mother of five boys living in Berks County, PA. Her three youngest boys are diagnosed with autism. When her twins, Logan and Aaron (age 10) were diagnosed with autism at age 3, MaryBeth said of her reaction that, "All the dreams I had for my children were gone. I no longer thought in terms of what sports they will play, or college they will attend, or what they may be when they grow up. I wanted to know why. I resented friends with typical kids. I hated going to the playground because I saw other kids my sons’ age and it was a hard reality check to realize that my boys will never be typical. I believe my reaction was similar to going through the stages of grief."
Aaron is completely non verbal and has eloped several times. Since he cannot call for help, this is a huge worry for mom. Logan has significant behavioral challenges and limited verbal communication skills. The youngest son, Connor, has high-functioning autism and struggles with socialization. When asked what the boys’ interests are, MaryBeth said, "Aaron loves to read and play on the computer. Logan loves to watch Disney movies and jump on the trampoline and swim. They are both very loving. Connor loves NASCAR. He enjoys playing soccer, football, and baseball. He has memorized every NASCAR driver, their sponsor, their car number, etc."
The twins, Logan and Aaron, have been attending overnight camp and weekend retreats at Variety for the last 3 years. MaryBeth said that when she takes her boys to camp it is like "going home". She said, "They love going to camp. It gives them freedom to just be themselves without someone constantly trying to make them fit into what we think of as the "typical kid" mold. They can just be Logan and Aaron...Variety gives me hope. It is so hard to explain but I don’t know what I would do without Variety."
Some of the surprises Holly Robinson-Peete announced live on the show included a remodel of the family’s basement into a sensory room for the boys. This is being made possible by generous donations from Town & Country Builders and Remodelers, based in Jenkintown, and Fun and Function, a special needs toys and equipment company based in Merrion Station, PA. Creative Financial Group in Newtown Square has also graciously offered to build a Special Needs Trust Fund for the boys. Other surprises included an iPad for each of the boys from the HollyRod Foundation through HollyRod’s "Give the Gift of Voice" program.
"The Talk" is hosted by six celebrity women including Holly Robinson-Peete, actress, author, and mother to a child with autism. A native of Philadelphia, Holly attended Variety’s Autism Awareness Night at Please Touch Museum last March. Holly enjoyed her visit to Variety’s event last spring so much that she wanted to highlight one of Variety’s families live on her show. Holly, along with her husband Rodney Peete (former Philadelphia Eagle), runs the HollyRod Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps raise awareness for autism. To learn more about Holly’s foundation, please visit http://www.hollyrod.org/.
For more information about today’s show and to watch a clip, please go to http://www.cbs.com/daytime/the_talk/blog/?id=51870
Click here to watch a clip from CBS News
Please also visit the websites of these wonderful local donors:
http://www.creativefinancialgroup.com/
