Michelle Hiser, Toledo School for the Arts’ new principal, came to TSA with an extensive background as both a teacher and a principal. Working in both rural and urban environments, Hiser has always strived towards creating a school environment where students can explore a wide variety of opportunities. This value, shared by many at Toledo School for the Arts, is what drew her to the school. “I am extremely excited and honored to join the TSA family! Thank you to everyone who has welcomed my family and me as we transitioned to Toledo. I look forward to building a partnership with the TSA families as well as the greater Toledo Community.”
Amazing Gray
Two-year-old Grayson Ballard is, undeniably, a fighter. His journey has been nothing short of a battle. Diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect, critical aortic stenosis with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), Grayson has endured four heart surgeries— the first, while still in his mother’s womb. And yet, the ferocity of this little boy’s strength continues to grow with every challenge he faces.
At the beginning of her third trimester, Gray’s mother, Hanna Stuart, confronted a difficult reality: Grayson needed surgical intervention, now. Without it, he would not survive more than 15 minutes past birth. Twenty-nine weeks into the pregnancy, doctors at Mott’s Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor performed heart surgery on Grayson. A fetal heart specialist placed a stent into Grayson’s aortic valve, which was narrowed and causing an obstruction of blood flow to his tiny, 2.5-pound body.
“I was prepared, mentally. I knew it was my choice to either terminate the pregnancy or fight a long battle, so I took the time to prepare myself and my family for the worst. God thought I was strong enough for a broken heart, so I took on the challenge,” Stuart recalls.
Tough Beginnings
He was born on October 19, 2015, three hours after his birth, Grayson was taken for open-heart surgery. Doctors placed bands on his pulmonary arteries, helping his heart deliver blood to his body. “I was able to see him for about 20 minutes before the surgery, and directly after the surgery it was tough, but I knew I made the right choice and he was given to me for a reason,” Stuart says.
Grayson persevered. “He was in the ICU for two weeks, and the night before he was scheduled to move over to general care he coded due to a high heart rate. It took them 30 minutes to get him back. I was there watching the whole time, and he came back fighting.”
An Uphill Battle
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HLHS is a birth defect in which the left side of the heart does not form correctly, affecting normal blood flow. To rebuild his heart and facilitate proper blood flow to his lungs, Grayson would need three more open-heart surgeries. The first two stages of surgery were successfully performed at 4 months and 10 months of age. After the second surgery, and just shy of 1 year old, Grayson was at last healthy enough to go out in public. “He finally got to go to the store and see the park for the first time,” Stuart shares. “He started school a little after he turned 1.”
Stuart admits each hospital stay is hard on Grayson. “He is very aware of everything that goes on. He’s deathly afraid of nurses and doctors and won’t let them touch him. He knows everyone who comes in with blue scrubs is going to do something with him.”
Still, Stuart credits Grayson’s nurses with keeping her sane, acknowledging the incredible support system they provide. “I take it a day at a time. I have to be there for him. If he wasn’t as strong as he is I would probably lose it.”
Life of the Party
Despite it all, Grayson is a boy that loves life. “He is hands down the funniest kid I’ve ever met in my life. He’s the life of the party everywhere he goes. You wouldn’t know he was sick unless you saw his scars. He loves to play outside with his bikes and cars. His favorite thing to do with his brother is wrestle; they are silly together,” Stuart says, adding that 4-year-old Liam is Grayson’s No. 1 supporter. “Liam is crazy about him. He tells his friends at school that his brother has a broken heart. He is so proud of Grayson.”
You Got This, Grayson
Grayson will undergo one last phase of surgeries to reduce the work being done by the right side of his heart and allow his lungs to develop properly.
The procedure was postponed after Grayson contracted a cold at the hospital. Doctors decided to put off the surgery until the spring to allow him time to heal.
For Stuart, Grayson’s journey has been an impetus to advocate public awareness of Congenital Heart Disease, the leading cause of infant death. In December, Grayson and his brother Liam will be taking a much-anticipated trip to Disneyland with their mother. From all of us at Toledo Parent, have a magical time! We are all rooting for you, Grayson.
What My Child with Special Needs Has Taught Me
My daughter does a flip turn at the other end of the pool. Screaming erupts among teammates, competing teams, parents, and coaches as she and the swimmer next to her break the water’s surface in unison. My daughter rises higher, her arms out wide before whipping them forward to dive under the surface again.
I am hoarse from yelling. I can’t help myself. My girl, my child with special needs, has come so far and overcome so much. I am her biggest cheerleader.
Never did I imagine that I would have a child with special needs. I imagined a brood of “normal” kids. I ventured into parenting with prayers and dreams of perfection.
Please don’t judge me. I am being honest here. Special needs was a wild card, an unfamiliar and distressing spectrum of unknown territory. Special needs frightened me. Additionally, I was sure I did not have it in me to parent a child with special needs. Granted, I had no idea what it might take.
As it would happen, I would parent three with special needs. But this child— my third of four, our swimmer— would be the one to bring me to my knees, initially in abject fear and then in profound gratitude. My daughter would prove one of my greatest teachers, providing lessons I had to learn, even as I fought them. Here is some of what my precious girl taught me:
“Meet me where I am.”
Adopted from China at the age of 12 months, she was truly sick and out of sync. Institutionalization just about broke her. Even though my daughter did not speak for close to three and a half years, she communicated what she needed. Along with signing, we had our own special language. I learned to listen with more than my ears and to be aware of more than the spoken word, such as what her unique movements meant.
She showed me that her thumb was the best pacifier; naked was better than clothes; and that playing in the dirt and watching nature was fascinating. She was tender with ants, worms and snakes. Curious and fearless, she held them without crushing their small bodies. When the time arrived to gently strip her pudgy hands of her “friends,” she erupted into keening. Although I took care to replace them with baby-safe insects, she was not fooled.
“Listen to your gut and your heart, and hold me close so that I can listen to it, too.”
She quickly taught me that holding her skin-to-skin and heart-to-heart calmed her outbursts and de-stressed Mama. Indeed it was during these countless holding sessions that I absorbed the miracle of my daughter, memorized her porcelain skin and downy dark hair.
“Don’t give up, Mama.”
I was determined to leave no stone unturned, Despite an initial screening and several follow-ups, specialists provided no diagnosis other than “significantly delayed.” They were divided on whether she would or could catch up. I refused to believe them. My gut told me the specialists were missing something big, but of course, I had no idea what it was.
“Always embrace hope, but prepare for the worst.”
I began to journal about my daughter— behavior (unpredictable, no pattern), outbursts (constant), setbacks (many), likes and dislikes, movements (“odd”), and milestones (few). Close to being out of options, I scheduled another appointment and took my notes. Upon entering the therapy group’s office that day, hope pounded in my throat and prayers pooled in my eyes. I remember my daughter shifting in my arms so that she could look me in the eyes. Her sweet smile seemed to say, “We’ve got this.” She snuggled back into my chest, tucking her soft hand under my bra, resting over my heart, while we waited to begin.
The 30-minute appointment turned into several hours as other specialists screened my daughter. We waited patiently. Per usual, my diaper bag was bursting with snacks, milk and toys. Fortunately, I had also packed her lovey, Snakey— a stuffed snake longer than she was. My girl resorted to sucking her thumb as time ticked by, next to the comfort of Snakey.
Excited voices grew louder in the room next to us. One therapist came to get us and took us into that room. The team gave us a diagnosis and outlined a plan for a battalion of therapies, which my girl began the following day. Therapy would not taper off for close to six years and would help my daughter and teach me more about supporting her as she became whole.
Special Needs Resources
Sensational Kids Daycare
& Learning Center
6060 Merger Drive
Holland, OH
419-724-5434
sensationalkidsdaycare.com
Sensational Kids offers an alternative schooling option for children with special needs. The school’s experienced therapists and special education teachers work with parents to put together a program that will help with each child’s educational and
developmental goals.
Sunshine Inc.
of Northwest Ohio
7223 Maumee Western Road
Maumee, OH
419-865-0251 | sunshine.org
Sunshine Communities supports men, women and children with developmental disabilities with housing options, day programming, therapy services, community employment, and recreational and animal-assisted activities. Its long-time mission has been to “create community,” and to that end, Sunshine in 2017 renovated, constructed or broke ground on five new homes in Lucas and Wood counties for residents with disabilities. It opened as a children’s home in 1950 when a couple with five children could find no help elsewhere, and today Sunshine supports people of ages in Northwest Ohio in more than two dozen homes and programming sites. It also operates Georgette’s Grounds & Gifts and Sunshine Studios.
HOPE Learning Academy
4234 Monroe St.
Ottawa Hills, OH
419-297-6313
hopelearningacademy.org
HOPE Learning Academy of Toledo focuses on providing children with special needs with an excellent education. Students at HOPE develop self-reliance, critical thinking and problem solving skills through a research-based curriculum that is infused with social, sensory, and art enrichment.
Harbor Behavioral Health
Various locations throughout Toledo
419-475-4449 | harbor.org
Harbor Behavioral Health is a leading mental health provider in Northwest Ohio, with a developmental and behavioral pediatrics team dedicated to providing children with care to ensure they are successful in their home, school and community. Harbor offers a wide range of services, including psychological testing, psychiatric evaulations, community based therapy, individual and group counseling, parent/caregiver support and much more.
Bright Horizon Advocacy
and Consulting LLC
205 Farnsworth,
Waterville, OH
419-441-1011
brighthorizonsadvcon.com
A non-attorney advocacy firm that’s dedicated to helping people with disabilities achieve their goals, Bright Horizons can help families advocate for a variety of issues, including special education issues, employment accommodations or vocational supports.
Zepf Center
Various locations
419-841-7701
zepfcenter.org
With a mission of creating hope and recovery through integrated person-centered services, the Zepf Center is a local nonprofit that provides behavioral health and vocational services to Lucas County youth and adults with severe and persistent mental illness, including child and adolescent psychiatric, medical, residential, and therapy services, as well as career development.
OPEN HOUSE GUIDE
Choosing the right school is key to a successful education and future endeavors. Check out these local schools to determine if one might be the perfect fit for your child.
Daycroft Montessori
1095 N Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI
734-662-3335 | daycroft.org
Open House: Oakbrook Campus (Pre-K) – Nov.7th Zeeb Campus (K-8) – Nov.9th
Daycroft Montessori uniquely combines traditional Montessori approaches to teaching along with progressive teaching methods. Daycroft offers a low student-to-teacher ratio which allows for personalized learning. With the philosophy that children learn at their own pace, the school provides a learning environment that addresses students’ varied learning styles and allow children to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. After-school enrichment programs are also offered and vary based on semester. These organizations include language lessons, art classes, music lessons, sports, and chess.
St. Ursula Academy
4025 Indian Rd., Toledo
419-475-9359 | toledosua.org
Open House:
November 12 12-3pm
St. Ursula Academy is a Catholic, college preparatory school for girls from grades 6-12. The academy helps develop girls into smart, strong, and spirited young women. SUA offers rigorous college-prep academics such as a variety of AP and Honors Courses. The young women at SUA not only become strong academics, but they also are national and state champions for many athletic teams, take part in nationally recognized fine arts programs, and are members of a nationally recognized STEM team. With over 40 clubs, students have many opportunities to take on leadership roles and develop new interests.
Ottawa Hills
3600 Indian Rd, Ottawa Hills
419-536-6371 | ottawahillsschool.org
Open House: We invite you to learn more about our tuition enrollment option. Please call to schedule a school tour or student shadow day.
Ottawa Hills Local Schools offers maximum learning for every student from kindergarten through grade 12. With a tradition of excellence, Ottawa Hills provides a challenging curriculum for students and involves parents as partners in the education of their children. Ottawa Hills inspires each student to realize his or her unique potential and embrace learning as a lifelong process. With a variety of extracurricular activities including arts and athletics, Ottawa Hills Local Schools set students up for lifelong success.
Maumee Valley Country Day School
1715 S. Reynolds Rd. Toledo
419-381-1313 | mvcds.org/page
Open House: 1-3pm. Sunday, November 12.
Maumee Valley Country Day School is the only Preschool (30 months) – 12th grade accredited, co-educational, independent school in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Maumee Valley’s rich tradition of excellence in education, as measured by the strongest test scores in the region, remains at the core of their program. Students learn in an environment where each is challenged to think creatively and work collaboratively to find answers to relevant, real-world problems. Along with academics, arts, and athletics, Maumee Valley provides students with the opportunity to develop their personal narratives.
West Side Montessori School
7115 W. Bancroft St. Toledo
419-866-1931
montessoritoledo.org/blog/fall-open-house/
Open House: November 7
West Side Montessori inspires children of all ages to discover their full potential and focuses on creating independent and self-motivated graduates. Unique to West Side Montessori is the world language curriculum. World languages are introduced to students at 3 years old, and that leads to an immersion program in upper grades. Additionally, West Side Montessori creates lessons that are geared towards each student’s learning style. Children work at their own pace and choose work based on their own interests and abilities.
Owens Community College
PO Box 10000 Toledo
567-661-7149 | owens.edu
Open House: Natural Sciences and Transportation Preview Day on November 8.
Nursing and Health Professionals Preview Day on November 14. Fine and Performing Arts Preview on November 17
Since its establishment in 1965, Owens Community College has been providing educational opportunities and training for residents of Northwest Ohio. With over 100 academic programs and certificates, Owens offers something for everyone. Students can prepare for a career, retrain for a new career, and obtain credits to transfer to a four-year college even while still in high school. The average class size is only 14 students which allows students to receive more personal attention needed to help them succeed. Along with great educational opportunities, Owens provides student activities, clubs and organizations, athletics, and volunteer activities. Please RSVP online (owens.edu/visit/toledo-preview)if you’d like to attend a preview session.
ILead Schools
Follow the Eyes PO Box 348
Perrysburg, OH. | 419-508-9229
ileadschools.org/
Open House: Call to schedule your tour.
ILead serves students from Kindergarten up through 12th grade, and helps prepare to become critical thinkers and leaders. The name ILead stands for International, Leadership, Entrepreneurial Development, Arts, and Design Thinking. Students not only learn to become leaders, but they also become open-minded world citizens, team players, artists, and project-based learners. The goal of ILead is not only to develop strong learners, but also to develop learners who will go on to change the world.
Is There a Gun in the House?
No matter how you feel about owning a gun, the fact is every week in this country, two children are shot by other children. Every week. As parents, we often go to extreme measures to protect our children from harm, yet asking other parents whether they have a gun in their home somehow falls off our radar. To keep our kids safe and to avoid a potentially tragic accident, the question begs to be asked. Read on for tips on making this delicate conversation less intimidating, and how to teach our kids about gun safety.
Full disclosure: ask and tell
While it may feel like an invasion of privacy, we should get comfortable asking both old friends and new acquaintances if there’s a gun in their home. Toledo Police Officer Joe Okos advises, “One out of four homes have a firearm. We should be accepting of that, and ask families: ‘Hey just out of curiosity, do you have a firearm in the home?’ Then follow up: ‘Do you keep the firearm locked or secured so that a child isn’t able to get ahold of it?’” Having the conversation may feel awkward at first, but it’s purely a matter of safety. Okos says he has yet to meet a firearm owner that wouldn’t answer these questions honestly, parent to parent.
Often, children know where guns are hidden in the home, and parents underestimate the power of a kid’s curiosity. That’s why proper firearm storage is crucial. “If you’re going to have a gun at home, keep it locked in a safe, or keep the firearm itself locked with a trigger lock. Beyond that, teach every child what to do if they encounter a firearm,” Okos recommends.
Hey kids: hands off all guns
Having an age-appropriate conversation with our kids and instilling a respect for weapons is important no matter what side of the fence we’re on. “We teach our kids not to touch a hot stove, not to hit themselves with a hammer. But we avoid teaching them about firearms. Education is the best means of safety, because if a child understands a firearm is a dangerous item, they will respect it more,” Okos says, adding parents can start teaching kids about gun safety as early as 2 years old.
As for how to get the true danger of a real gun to resonate with a child, Okos urges, “You really have to stress it. I’m very up front with children. I tell them, if you play with a gun there’s a very good chance you or your friend can die. It’s very serious. They need to have the facts. I don’t sugarcoat.”
Stop. Don’t touch. Run away. Tell a grown up.
Officer Okos and Toledo police are teaching kids what to do if they see a gun: Stop. Don’t Touch. Run Away. Tell A Grown Up. A program, with mascot Eddie the Eagle, developed by the National Rifle Association, teaches kids ages pre-K to 4th grade about gun safety. Okos says the program is free and available to any group of kids. An 8-minute animated video where Eddie the Eagle teaches kids it’s never safe to touch a gun is viewable here:
eddieeagle.nra.org
It’s your right to ask
So, before your child’s next playdate, ask if there’s an unlocked gun in the house. Still uncomfortable? Preface the question with something like, “My kid gets into everything, so I was wondering”… or “I’ve been talking to my child about safety lately, and it got me thinking”… but DO ask. It’s not about politics; it’s about safety.