#ONEPERFECTDAY WITH SURFERS HEALING [PICTURE HEAVY]
This blog post is a #throwback from June 30, 2016.
Not sponsored. Filters provided by Snapchat.
Before, I even get started with #OnePerfectDay with Surfers Healing, I want to share with you what this organization is about.
What is Surfers Healing?
Surfers Healing is a non-profit foundation that seeks "to enrich the lives of people living with Autism by exposing them to the unique experience of surfing". This organization was founded by former pro-surfer Izzy Paskowitz and his wife Danielle after their son Isaiah was diagnosed with Autism at the age of three. Surfers Healing teaches children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to surf. The surf camps are free of charge to the kids' families and include camps all over the world.
VIDEO DISCLAIMER: This video is property of Ford Motor Company. It has been embedded into this blog for educational purposes only. The views and statements expressed in this video are those of Surfers Healing and Ford Motor Company and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the owner of this blog, its ownership, management or employees.
To be completely honest, I am still not entirely comfortable talking about the subject of Autism or our personal journey with it. Primarily because it's still all too new to us and we're still seeking answers to a lot of questions we have. But, I am opening up about it a little bit more in hopes that our story will help other families who are new to this adventure. I know there are families out there who want to do everything in their power to help their child(ren) develop as best as possible in a world that seems overwhelming, scary or doesn't believe them to be capable of everything they can be.
I don't exactly remember how we learned about Surfers Healing. But, after we did, I did extensive research to make sure they were legit. And they are. Since their camps in California had just happened by the time we found out about it, I followed them all over social media for this year's events. Previously, it was a first-come, first-served basis; however, starting in 2016, your child enters a lottery when you register. I entered Simon's information as soon as registration opened up without thinking much of it since we rarely win anything. I just thought "The worst that can happen is Simon doesn't get a spot". I said a little prayer and let it go. A few weeks passed and then, one day, we got an email...
We received a second email a couple weeks prior to the event with additional information -- Simon's surfing time & group, when to arrive, where to go, what to expect, etc.
FINALLY!
The day of Surfers Healing came...
I was so excited that I woke up super early that morning to finalize everything for the day:
• Prepped extra clothes for the boys
• Got extra beach towels
• Got snacks and drinks (in case the boys wanted something at the beach)
• Left an extra hour early from our place to make sure we had enough time to arrive in case of traffic
When we finally got there, I checked us in. We got Simon's gifts and bracelet, our lunch tickets, and found ourselves a small spot on the beach to setup a little play area for the boys. I meant to take pictures of the camp, but was so excited that I completely forgot all about it. Heck! I was so excited I even forgot to put on SPF and, now 1½ weeks later, I'm peeling like a snake. Not pretty, people.
We had lunch a bit ahead of time, provided by Surfers Healing too. Even though we came super prepared with everything we could think of, all families were provided with a small lunch, snacks and beverages (all super healthy, I might add). We ended up not needing all the snacks we had brought after all. The event organizers providing all these things for the families were so considerate. It was such a nice gesture. I cannot commend them enough!
Simon was scheduled for 12 pm, but there was only one x-small life jacket and another child (who was in the water at that moment) was using it. So, we hung out and played in the ocean for a little while before going back to try again. After waiting for about 20 minutes, it was finally Simon's turn. He was super patient the entire time and very well-behaved (a happy surprise!). A couple of volunteers got his life-jacket on and then got taken by a couple of surfers to get on the board and into the water. Through the whole thing, he was super calm. Simon didn't say a thing or protest, but we could tell he was very curious about what was happening.
I genuinely thought we were going to be a ball of nerves. Instead, Andrés & I were mostly excited that Simon was going to experience surfing for the first time. Not gonna lie - I choked up. I was so happy our little boy was going to experience the ocean in a whole new & exciting way. He has always been a water baby and has always loved the ocean. This was taking it to the next level. It was perfect.
While we were waiting for him, we noticed children who are overwhelmed, scared or overly anxious are prioritized while waiting in line. I loved that the volunteers made sure parents were comforted while their children were taken into the water. Every single volunteer there was experienced and calm, comforting yet alert. The volunteer surfers knew what they were doing and how to handle the children in their particular situations. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was happy to be there and help.
After heading out to the ocean, a couple of small waves pushed Simon and his surfer off the board. We could tell from shore Simon got scared, but he was fine. At some point in time, he was switched to another surfer with more experience who calmed him down and actually got him to surf towards the shore a couple of times. The video footage at the end of this post show how the entire experience happened for Simon and how it looked to us from the beach. The kids are out in the ocean for about 30 minutes and go to about 200-250 ft. from shore.
Unfortunately, siblings aren't allowed to go in the water because of insurance reasons. In our case, we lucked out because Lucas is like a cat. He much prefers to stay on solid ground than to go into the ocean. He enjoyed himself by staying on the beach all day and play with the soft waves coming in.
After about 45 minutes, Simon came back to shore. His poor little body was freezing! We took a couple quick pics with his surfer, got his participation certificate and trophy, then wrapped him in warm towels, and got him to lie down under the sun to get his temperature back to normal.
Simon carried his trophy proudly and stared at it for a long time while he dried off back in our little area. He really enjoyed the experience and we couldn't be more proud of him. As he calmed down, I asked him if he liked surfing. He simply replied, "Surfing! Surfing!" with a big smile on his face. It warmed our hearts. He loved it! ♥
Thank you Surfers Healing and the entire Paskowitz family for this amazing experience for our son ♥
To learn more about Surfers Healing and their mission, please visit: