Jason Parisi was stringing Christmas lights when he suddenly pivoted, walked briskly down a hallway before he stopped, opened a door, and retrieved a decoration from his room.
This would be ordinary other than the fact Parisi is deaf and blind.
When people at Balsam Terrace and Spruce Manor talk about Parisi, the words “remarkable” and “amazing” pop up often. Parisi is the chief decorator for the apartment complex in Jacksonville operated by the Volunteers of America for seniors and people with disabilities.
“Jason is remarkable, very extraordinary. We know we can’t decorate like him even as he loses his sight. I don’t know what we would do without him. The way he does things is really beautiful. He is a wonderful guy,” Lisa Lisenbee, a fellow resident, said.
“It’s amazing how he does it all by feel. While some people use a tape measure, he uses his arms to measure. And it turns out perfect,” said Elizabeth Atherton, an office assistant at the complex. “He started right after Thanksgiving by taking down the Thanksgiving decorations and putting up the Christmas decorations. He loves doing this.”
Parisi, 37, grew up in Jacksonville and attended the Illinois School for the Deaf. He has been deaf since birth but has slowly been losing his eyesight.
He has Usher syndrome, an inherited disease that causes hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disorder that causes vision to get worse over time. The limited sight he has is in black and white and what remains is blurry.
“I love to decorate. They donate items and money for me to buy new things to decorate with. I love kids and love it when they see my decorations,” Parisi said.
“What inspires me is how he dives into each holiday. He brings up the morale of the staff and the rest of the residents. It’s hard to put into words what Jason means to this place,” Jordan Turley, maintenance lead for the complex, said.
“Nobody motivates him. It’s more like, ‘You need to move this scooter out of the way so I can get to the decorations.’ He doesn’t ask for help. If someone helps, it’s because they are already there,” Turley said.
The alcoves for the rooms are decorated by the residents who live there, but Parisi is responsible for decorating everything else. He decorates five trees as well as the common areas and hallways. Snowflakes hang from the ceiling in an orderly fashion, accented by garland, wreathes and oversized stockings on the walls. Everything is in order and each item is perfectly in place.
Teresa Nash has known Parisi since she moved into the apartments in 2009 and has watched him as his sight has deteriorated.
“He decorates for us and has the place looking marvelous. It looks better and better every year. He’s a very special kid. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for you,” Nash said. “Watching him work is something special.”
Parisi said he moved to the apartment complex in 2008 and began decorating in 2009 when he had an idea to do it and the other people voted to let him decorate.
“He puts his heart into it. Residents look at what he does, and they are amazed. His fiancée, who is deaf, lives across the hall, and she helps him as he spends hours and hours decorating for Christmas. He’ll keep going until Christmas,” Atherton said. “He keeps improving each year with his decorating.”
Parisi is also known for his troubleshooting abilities. Atherton said he can fix the lights when they’re out by painstakingly looking at each bulb for signs of life before replacing the ones that are burned out.
But it’s not just Christmas that he decorates for. Atherton said after Christmas, he’ll take down these decorations and get ready for Valentine’s Day. Parisi decorates for all holidays including St. Patrick’s Day, July 4, and Halloween.
“He’ll keep the snowflakes he hung from the ceiling up and work a Valentine’s theme into them. He does not let his vision loss get to him. Decorating keeps him going. He’s very self-sufficient,” Atherton.
“I love all the holidays,” Parisi said. “I don’t have a favorite holiday – other than Christmas.”
Parisi has two things on his Christmas wish list. More decorations and a job.
“I could use more lights if anyone wants to support me. I need different colors – I need white lights and colors for Valentine’s Day,” Parisi said. “It doesn’t matter if the decorations are new or old, I will use them all.”
Atherton said Parisi has been looking for a job and his goal is to do something related to interior decorating.
“Jason has the drive,” Turley said. “He just needs the right fit.”