• Community Events
  • Home
  • Employment
  • Local
    • Central San Diego
    • North County
    • East County
    • South Bay
    • Northeastern
    • Riverside County
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Television
    • Art
    • Theater
    • Film
    • Events
    • Theme Parks
    • Podcast/Radio
    • Museums
    • Books
  • Business
  • National
  • Politics
  • Science & Technology
    • Computer
    • Science
    • Space
  • Sports
  • Environment
    • Clean Air
    • Climate change
    • Land
    • Ocean
    • Pollution
    • Recycling
  • Health
    • Health Business
    • Health Education
    • Medical
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Senior Life
    • Society

San Diego County News

Independent publication serving San Diego County

Surf Dog Ricochet To Host 5th Annual “Surf Away SMA” For Kids With Illness

August 1, 2019 By sdcnews

Ricochet the surf dog 

LA JOLLA–Children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) will be catching waves this Friday at La Jolla Shores for the 5th annual “Surf Away SMA With Ricochet” event. 

SMA is a disease that robs individuals of physical strength by affecting the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord, taking away the ability to hold their head up, stand, sit, crawl, walk, swallow food effectively, or breathe. 

Some kids have a tracheostomy, a surgically created opening into the trachea that provides breathing assistance through a permanent ventilator. These kids have Type I SMA—the most severe and the most common. Other kids have type II SMA. these kids can typically sit up without help, though they may need assistance getting into a seated position, but they are unable to walk and will require a wheelchair. Individuals with Type III SMA are initially able to walk, but have increasingly limited mobility as they grow and eventually, many need to use a wheelchair. 

Man stabbed after an altercation in East Village
Trending
Man stabbed after an altercation in East Village

Although these kids have difficulty performing the basic functions of life, SMA does not affect their ability to think, learn, have hopes and dreams or surf with a dog.

A bath chair will be attached to the surfboard to keep water from getting on the kids. Having children who are profoundly disabled takes the utmost expertise of the water safety team. 

Getting water into the opening of a tracheostomy could cause aspiration pneumonia. With this in mind, the board will be picked up going in and out of the water, as well as each time a wave comes close. 

The board will be kept in shallow water, and when the crew is ready, the team leader will hold onto the back of the board and walk it to shore. The rest of the team will surround them to ensure safety. 

Children who aren’t as severely disabled will be able to go without the chair, but safety is still the number one priority, so a skilled and experienced surfer will be on board too.  

The surf session is sponsored by Ionis Pharmaceuticals, the maker of a new drug called Spinraza that was recently approved to treat this debilitating and terminal disease. Significant improvement has been seen in the survival of infants. It has also improved motor function in some children, helping them sit, stand and even walk.  

For a child with SMA, going from a chair full of medical gear to a surfboard full of cheer gives both the child and the parents the opportunity to do something they never thought possible. 

40

SHARES
Share on Facebook
Tweet
Follow us

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Animal/Wildlife News


Support Independent Journalism



Trending

  • U. S. Marshall Seek Fugitive‏
  • Bi-national operation near border yields rifle, ammunition, makeshift ladders
  • Former director of finance for La Jolla Music Society sentenced to 30 months in prison
  • Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of passenger on trolley
  • California first state in the nation to allow submetering of electric vehicles

Advertisement

Good Sam Travel Assist

Advertisement

Start LLC today at incorporate.com

Education

United Way of San Diego hosts ‘Back to School Drive’ for students and families

San … [Read More...]

Environment

Research strengthens evidence of link between air pollution and child brain development

By … [Read More...]

Science & Technology

NASA reveals Webb Telescope’s first images of unseen universe

The … [Read More...]

Advertisement

Independence Day Savings! Save up to $25◊ off our Fees on Flights Use Coupon USA25.

Advertisement

Stacy Adams

Advertisement

Summer Membership offer

Advertisement

Naturepedic

Categories

  • About Us
  • Archive
  • Community Events
  • Contact Us
  • Employment
  • Private Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow @SanCounty

Privacy Policy

Terms of service

Copyright © 2022 San Diego County News