On June 19th at Rambler ave in Wildwood Crest the Life Rolls On a divison of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation will be doing a surfing activity for those who are fully or partially paralized . Safety will be top priority with life jackets for the people with a mobility disablity and multiple people in the water helping out. More info can be found at www.liferollson.org and if you wanna volunteer you can send them a email at TWSA@liferollson.org
i was an in the water volunteer for the first one they did back in september, & i gotta say that it was one of the absolute coolest things i have ever done as a surfer!! everyone was just so stoked on the whole event & even tho the weather & waves weren't great, everyone involved had a great time! i will deff. be there on the 19th!! edit: just finished signing up for the 19th! be there!!
Imagine what these kids feel like catching their first wave... or maybe they used to surf and this is the first wave since an injury that changed their lives for ever... Imagine what they're feeling as they hit the bottom on that first wave and come bouncing like a kangaroo toward you with a wall of whitewater behind them... they know they're safe 'cause you're there to catch them... imagine their excitement....what they feel like when you see that face coming at you... eyes wide open, ear-to-ear smile... half scared sh!tless, half stoked out of their minds... Now imagine doubling that feeling. That's what it feels like for YOU when you volunteer.
in case anyone else on here signed up to volunteer, i just got my assignment for saturday & will be there taking photos! i'll be in & out of the water w/ a camera all day, so make sure you smile! this is sure to be a great event! so stoked the weather's looking good!
Great program If I didn't have to work, I'd be bringing my son up for the event. Just remember that this isn't necessarily the first time some of the participants have surfed. My son broke his neck at C6/7 when he was 19 making him a quadriplegic, and to get him back in the water I adapted an old Mach 7 with side rails made from another sponge to keep his torso centered. His paralysis line is straight through his nipple line and the middle of his arms. I became his legs and his little brother became his catcher. He found the "hoot" again, even if only briefly. Wetsuits are a MUST because quads can't sweat and can't shiver- body temperature maintenance is critical. One word of caution to all involved- be aware of, and at least minimally aware of any signs of autonomic dysreflexia. While not typical, it can lead to serious complications for paralysis patients. http://calder.med.miami.edu/pointis/automatic.html. If any emergencies do arise, be sure to inform emergency personnel of this condition as ab's, even well trained parameds, might not be familiar with this dysreflexia condition.
i'm not matt, but volunteers have been asked to arrive no later than 8am w/ the surfers arriving an hour later, at 9am. i would imagine that we'll be hitting the water shortly thereafter. hope you & your son can make it! it was real blast in september & i'm sure the same will be true this time!
