Gaston County’s
Page 1
The Banner News / banner-news.com
Thursday, April 28, 2016
WIN
$2850 see inside
Volume 82 • Issue 17
News From a Neighbor • Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Make a Wish and Mt. Holly Fire Department help fulfill a six-year-old’s dream By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Last Thursday saw the Mt. Holly Fire Department and the Make A Wish Foundation team up to make a local kid's dream come true. Six-year-old Harrison Revels, who lives with his family in the Runnymeade neighborhood and who attends Pinewood Elementary kindergarten, has a fascination with fire engines and the firefighting profession. Unfortunately, he also has a serious, very serious, medical condition called “cat eye syndrome”. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), cat eye syndrome is a rare chromosomal disorder that may be evident at birth. Individuals with a normal chromosomal make-up have two 22nd chromosomes, both of which have a short arm, known as 22p, and a long arm, called 22q. However, in individuals with cat eye syndrome, the short arm and a small region of the long arm of chromosome 22 are present three or four times rather than twice in cells of the body. The name "cat eye syndrome" is derived from a distinctive eye abnormality that is present in some affected individuals. Harrison does not have this condition. While some may have few or mild manifestations that may remain unrecognized, others may have the full spectrum of malformations. However, in many cases, characteristic features of the disorder include mild growth delays before birth; mild mental deficiency; and malformations of the skull and facial region, the heart, the kidneys, and/or the anal region. Harrison's medical situation has meant countless trips to doctors and hospitals and an encyclopedic list of treatments including two liver transplants. Nonetheless, when the MHFD held its open house last October, Harrison was one of the first on the scene and instantly won the hearts of the firefighters. He even got to ride on a fire engine. “That was a real thrill for him,” said fire chief Ryan Baker. The MHFD and the Harrison family stayed in contact after the open house. More recently, folks at the Levine Transplant Center where Harrison had been a patient contacted the Make A Wish office in Charlotte. Wheels turned and the MHFD and Make A Wish connected to plan a day Harrison will never forget. The Make A Wish Foundation is a non-profit that arranges experiences described as "wishes" to children with life-threatening medical conditions. In order to qualify for a wish, the child must be between the ages of 3 to 17 at the time of referral. Make A Wish
Mt. Holly fire chief Ryan Baker is seen fitting six-year-old Harrison Revels with a fire hat during the See MAKE A WISH page 2 lad’s special Make A Wish event last Thursday. Photo by Alan Hodge
Sticks for Kids program has local junior golfers swinging By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Give a kid a golf club and all sorts of things can happen but in the case of last Wednesday's Sticks for Kids event on the links at the Cramer Mountain Club it was all good. Sticks for Kids is a national endeavor to teach youth the ins and outs of golf with a healthy dose of sportsmanship as well. The Golf Course Builders Association of America established the GCBAA Foundation to provide the necessary tools and opportunities to allow the next generation of golfers to learn and enjoy the game. Since its establishment, the GCBAA Foundation has taken a special interest in supporting children Tom Fortenberry brought his grandsons 11-year-old Harrison Rowland by launching Sticks for Kids, a junior golf outreach from Stanley and five-year-old Murphy Clark from Belmont and had a great time at Sticks for Kids. Photo by Alan Hodge See STICKS FOR KIDS page 3
East Gaston Adult Day Center honors volunteers By Alan Hodge alan.bannernews@gmail.com
Every day at the East Gaston Adult Day Center in Catawba Heights is special but Wednesdays are very special and last Wednesday was very, very special. What's up with Wednesdays? First that's the day of the week when volunteers, especially a group of musicians known as “Vernon and the Boys” show up to pluck guitars and bang on drums and sing and get the senior citizen clients all stirred upsome to the point they arise and cut a rug or linoleum as the case may be. Another is that last Wednesday the EGADC staff and aforementioned clients held a special luncheon to honor the volunteers. “The volunteers give our clients a lot of life enrichment and entertainment,” said EGADC director Melinda Silvers. The youngest client is 65, the “most senior” 97-years-old. Currently there are 18 clients enrolled at EGADC which has been in operation for 22 years. One of the most talented volunteers is Vernon Harris who See EAST GASTON page 4