DUBLIN, Ohio — This time of year may mean carving pumpkins, eating leftover Halloween candy or maybe prepping for the holidays. But for Jeanette Paras, it means turning pumpkins into people. 

What You Need To Know

  • Jeanette Paras started painting pumpkins 32 years ago 

  • This year, she chose Ted Lasso 

  • Ted Lasso is the main character of a popular Apple TV series about a small-time football coach chosen to lead a professional soccer team

  • Paras was diagnosed with breast cancer twice 
  • Ted Lassokin weighs 705 pounds 

“Pumpkinizing" since 1988, Paras has created everyone from Brittany Spears to President Bill Clinton. She considers herself a professional in pumpkin pop culture.

“It's a snapshot in time of what’s going on,” said Paras. “You could say it's basically a history of pop culture."

Heading into 2021, the inspiration was endless. She brainstorms candidates from November to September and keeps her pick top secret until the week before Halloween.

This year, the winner was Ted Lasso, the main character in the hit Apple TV series. The show focuses on a small-time football coach who got hired to coach a professional soccer team in England despite his lack of experience. Witnessing an increased amount of uncertainty and division the past year and a half, Paras said she chose Ted Lasso to remind everyone to be good and keep faith in yourself and those around you.

“It's something that will uplift all of us and this show does it,” said Paras. “It gives you something to believe in."

This project means more than just painting pumpkins. Paras is a two-time breast cancer survivor and painting her pumpkins provided relief and joy in times that seemed dark and grim. 

She was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time a few years ago. Receiving her surgery in September, she was worried she would not be able to complete her annual project, but she was determined to not let her diagnosis deter her from making the neighborhood smile.

“I was crying to my doctors saying 'how could you guys do the surgery at the end of September, then I can’t do my pumpkins' and I was crying about that,” said Paras. “Then they both said 'well no, we think you should do your pumpkin, your para pumpkins, so we think it’ll be an important part of your recovery.'" 

The 705-pound pumpkin was dropped off to her garage via truck and forklift. She received the giant pumpkin from Scott Kulpa in Galena, Ohio, who specializes in giant pumpkins. Every time she heads out to see “Ted Lassokin,” she greets him like it's her first time.

Complete with sunglasses, hair and a giant hat, neighbors have no choice but to stop and take a picture. .

“I'm blessed because not only do I think it's fun, there’s a lot of other people that think it's fun,” said Paras. "I get thanked for doing this, which is actually kind of humbling and I appreciate it."

A bright spot in her community, Paras said she’s grateful to be able to bring fun and laughter to others.

“It's just so fun. Everybody needs to find something that they like to do that is really, really fun” said Paras.  

Paras is using Ted Lassokin to bring awareness for breast cancer, fundraising for the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at The Ohio State University. You can donate here. 

Now that Halloween has passed, Paras plans to give Ted Lassokin a holiday makeover.