Oceans Healing Group at Shaka Surf Camp

Embarking on the first week of Shaka surf camp has been an inspiring experience to say the least. There are three surf participants at the camp this week that all three have what is commonly known as A.T., or otherwise called ataxia-telangiectasia. In brief, A.T. is a rare genetic disease that targets children specifically. It directly affects the balance and immune systems of its carriers. Because of the drastic effect the disease has on balance, people with A.T. cannot walk at all, and many cannot complete simple tasks such as eating or even speaking. You can read more about it here; http://www.communityatcp.org/. The three participants here now are Jake, Brooke, and Chad. Jake is from Huntington Beach who has been surfing MANY times and whose father plays a large role in Oceans Healing Group and its purpose. Brooke is here for the first time from Michigan. Her mother is her sole caregiver and keeps her closely guarded in a variety of ways. To have here here surfing right now seems like a MASSIVE achievement to say the least. Chad is here with his mother and brother. It's clear that his family envourages Chad to live a wildly active lifestyle despite his disability. He owns a quad back in his hometown, Sonora (The Bay Area of CA), of which he makes his own monthly payments.

There are roughly 15 volunteers and team members that are all here to make surfing for Jake, Brooke and Chad possible. Everyday for the next 7 days we take the kids out for one surf session that goes like this. A few people carry the participant out to the water clad in general surf gear, goggles, and a life jacket. Others carry the board and wait a few feet into the water to place the participant lying on top where there are two handles for him to grab on. Once steady on the board, the participant and three volunteers head out to the best location for wave catching. One volunteer stands in the front of the board and keeps the nose above the waves to avoid any submergion. A second volunteer holds around the waiste and keeps the participant secure on the board. The third person hold the back of the board straight and, if possible, or neccesary the participant's legs steady on the tail end of the board. Once in deep water, these three volunteers pass the participant off to the "deep water" volunteers who all have flippers on. These volunteers take the participant out to the perfect location for catching a wave and turn him around to get him ready. When they are ready to catch the next wave they signal to the remaining volunteers and let the participant know. Within seconds the participant is OFF launched into a wave much like boogie boarding. All the remaining volunteers run in a V-like shape toward the participant in order to be there in case he falls off. In general, the participant makes it all the way to shore and then a few volunteers turn him around and do the whole process over again. We are generally out there for 2-3 hours depending on how long each participant surfs.
I cannot even begin to explain how amazing this experience is for everyone involved. These kids are more excited and happy than you could possibly predict. Here they are in the circumstances they are in and they have made a decision to live life to its fullest despite everything. Oceans Healing Group's motto is "Carving the dis out of dis-ability", and it could not be more true here. These kids are PART of this group and PART of this experience more than anything else. They themselves and their spirit and strength are what makes this entire thing inspiring. It feels really good to be able to contribute in any way. In another sense it is a real awakening kind of feeling. Like, nothing can be so bad that it should hold you back from what feels great and what makes life worth living... like we should all be more grateful with what we have everyday.