Miss Gaston County shares her father's battle with muscular dystrophy
A woman is holding a fundraiser to aid an organization that helped her family after her father was diagnosed with a degenerative disease.
The diagnoses
Erin Emiroglu said that her father, Remzi, was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of 40. She was four at the time, and she recalls childhood trips to Duke University Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinic. Muscular dystrophy is a degenerative disease that causes weakness and loss of muscle mass. There is no cure.
"It really affects the way that he walks, and it can lead to him tripping and falling very easily. So for me, my childhood was a little bit different than my peers because my dad was disabled, and he wasn't able to do as much as other people's parents."
Miss Gaston County
Erin Emiroglu, who lives in Charlotte, currently holds the title of Miss Gaston County, so she's a local titleholder in the Miss America organization. As part of that title, she has the opportunity to raise awareness for a cause, an effort known as her community service initiative.
Emiroglu won the title in late November 2022, and she will go on to compete in the Miss North Carolina competition.
Emiroglu chose the Muscular Dystrophy Association as her cause because of her father's experience. The association has aided him over the years as his disease progressed.
"They've paid for leg braces for him to walk better. They provide family support groups, different things like that. There're a national organization, and they are for neuromuscular disease research, and they've just played a big part of his life and my family's life," she said.
The fundraiser
Emiroglu is holding a cornhole tournament Saturday, May 27, from noon to 4 p.m. at Pearl Henderson Park in Gastonia to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Her goal is to raise $1,000 for the organization, and that money will go toward a summer camp program for children with muscular dystrophy. Registration is $30 for a team of two. The prize for the winning team is tickets to see the Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte FC soccer team. Emiroglu said the effort to raise funds is not just about the Miss Gaston County or Miss North Carolina titles.
"So within the organization, we have what are known as the four points of the crown: scholarship, service, success and style, and for me, service is a big thing," she said. "One of the main reasons why I chose to join this organization is something that my parents have instilled in me in my entire life. My dad, especially, because he is so giving and always giving to some organizations."
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Woman holding fundraiser to raise awareness of muscular dystrophy
