{"47386":{"#nid":"47386","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Helping One of Our Own","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPeople at Tech are not only generous in giving to the annual Charitable Campaign. In several cases, recipients of donations have direct ties to Tech, as well.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELeah Ashe is a former student, studying International Affairs. Although she hasn\u0027t finished her degree yet, she is a Tech legacy-her father earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Tech-and her husband studied computer programming at Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen they had their first child, Jorge, the doctors told her the boy would never be \u0022normal.\u0022 They told Ashe her son would never walk, and would probably never communicate because of a genetic disorder. Coupled with these other medical issues, her son also suffered from autism. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough contributions to the state campaign, Ashe was able to receive help and treatment for their son from the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta. The not-for-profit organization, started by Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and his wife, treats more than 4,000 children with autism and related developmental disorders a year. Families are able to receive diagnosis, treatment and support in one location.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAshe is executive director of the Vitamin B Council, an organization she formed to provide parents with information regarding children diagnosed with Pyridoxine dependency, a disorder that prevents affected individuals from processing vitamin B6 correctly. Like a majority of individuals who share this diagnosis, it is the medical cause of Jorge\u0027s autism. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin a few months of starting at the Marcus Autism Center, Jorge was able to communicate verbally, and was walking and running independently. Now, after two years in the Early Intervention Program, he communicates normally, tests with a normal IQ, and Ashe says that her son is not only walking, but running and playing with other children. Jorge is expected to be mainstreamed with his typical peers for kindergarten next fall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen their younger son, Leo, was also diagnosed with autistic symptoms, he was immediately enrolled in the Marcus Autism Center. He has now been mainstreamed in a typical preschool. By enrolling their sons into the center\u0027s services early, Ashe and her husband now have confidence that they will both have bright futures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFull-time enrollment in the Marcus Autism Center\u0027s Early Intervention Program is 30 hours per week of treatment, and costs more than $115,000 per year. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince insurance typically refuses to pay any portion of this amount, parents are left to apply for scholarships that are funded in part by charitable contributions to the Marcus Autism Center.\u003Cbr \/\u003EAshe plans to return to Tech and earn her degree. \u0022Thanks to the help our sons received at the Marcus Autism Center and the progress they have made, I will be able to return to my studies sooner than expected,\u0022 she said. \u0022I am excited about setting such a good example for our children, but am even more excited about watching them continue to beat the odds and have bright, happy futures.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Marcus Autism Center is just one of more than 1,200 organizations assisted by the State Charitable Contributions Program. The 2009-2010 Georgia Tech Charitable Campaign continues through Nov. 30. Log into TechWorks to contribute through one-time donation or via paycheck deduction. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Charitable Campaign lends an assist to members of the Georgia Tech family"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Former Georgia Tech student Leah Ashe received assistance from the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta for her two sons. The Center is one of 1,200 organizations that the State Charitable Contributions Program is able to assist.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27191","created_gmt":"2009-11-16 17:45:01","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:45","author":"Robert Nesmith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"47385":{"id":"47385","type":"image","title":"Ashe1","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Ashe1","file":{"fid":"190115","name":"Ashe1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ashe1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ashe1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":21254,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Ashe1_0.jpg?itok=ag8BRZbq"}},"47387":{"id":"47387","type":"image","title":"ashe2","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"ashe2","file":{"fid":"190116","name":"Jorge2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jorge2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Jorge2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":46051,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Jorge2_0.jpg?itok=lz5eQ0it"}}},"media_ids":["47385","47387"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.charitable.gatech.edu\/","title":"Tech Charitable Campaign"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.techworks.gatech.edu\/","title":"TechWorks"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"6989","name":"Georgia State Charitable Contributions Program"},{"id":"7795","name":"Georgia Tech Charitable Campaign"},{"id":"7794","name":"Marcus Autism Center"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERalph Mobley\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ralph.mobley@success.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eralph.mobley@success.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDirector, Career Services\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECo-chair, 2009-2010 Georgia Tech Charitable Campaign\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETom Horton\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tom.horton@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Etom.horton@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Director, Georgia Tech Research Institute\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECo-chair, 2009-2010 Georgia Tech Charitable Campaign\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}