In the Nashville area, the Telethon will begin at 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, and continue through Labor Day on WZTV-TV, Channel 17. In 1987, Blaustone received a diagnosis of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, a slowly progressing disease that causes weakness and wasting, initially in the shoulder and pelvic girdle muscles. Blaustone uses a motorized scooter and occasionally a manual wheelchair to assist with mobility. Her book The Joy of Parenthood, a pocket-size compendium of inspirational and encouraging thoughts for parents, was published in 1993. It was inspired by the experiences she and her husband, Michael, had raising their son Lee, now 10.
Love Comes First.
Her community involvement has included volunteering as a consultant on special needs adoptions for Family and Children's Service of Middle Tennessee. In 1994 she was honored by the Nashville mayor's office for her efforts to promote a positive image of people with disabilities. As an MDA volunteer leader at the local and national levels Blaustone serves on MDA's National Task Force on Public Awareness and is a member of its steering committee. She volunteers annually for the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon and was profiled on the 1996 national broadcast. She's contributed three paintings to the MDA Art Collection and coordinated a traveling exhibit of the Collection at the JFK Center at Vanderbilt University.