Known for successfully teaching life saving swim skills to students of all ages and abilities, Watersafe Swim School of Seal Beach and Los Alamitos has taken an extra step to help one of their very own students who has a very special need.
Known for successfully teaching life saving swim skills to students of all ages and abilities, Watersafe Swim School of Seal Beach and Los Alamitos has taken an extra step to help one of their very own students who has a very special need.
Caleb Saiz, 2, has mastered many independent swim skills, however, he needs additional assistance to be as self-sufficient on land as he is in the water. The staff and families of the swim school took on the goal of raising $4,500 for Caleb just a few weeks ago and the outpouring of love and generosity has been overwhelming, as donations now exceed $4,800 and are nearing $5,000. The additional donations will be used to assist the Saiz family in retrofitting their home, allowing Caleb even greater mobility.
Caleb began his swim lessons at the age of six weeks old. However, at nine months old his mother LaShawn, began to see that although he had already started to learn how to crawl and roll over, he was beginning to do so less and less, and was not bearing weight on his legs when prompted to stand. In December of 2015, Caleb was diagnosed with SMA Type 2 (Spinal Muscular Atrophy), a disease that affects both voluntary and involuntary muscles, and ends many children’s’ lives before adulthood.
There is no cure and the only treatments available are physical therapy, occupational therapy, and the use of wheelchairs. Unfortunately, the Saiz’s insurance company was not willing to provide the proper wheelchair for Caleb and thus his body has been in danger of degrading due to inactivity.
Ginny Ferguson, owner of Watersafe Swim School, has personally taught Caleb for over two years and understands the positive effects that consistent physical activity has on children with Caleb’s condition. After hearing that Caleb’s family needed help to acquire this special wheelchair, she decided that she must help. Caleb’s swim lessons, which also serve as aquatic therapy, along with active use of the lightweight wheelchair/stander should give Caleb the activity level he needs to continue to battle this disability.?
“Caleb, now and forever, your Watersafe family hopes you will always be able to keep on swimming and keep on moving for a long time to come.”
Watersafe Swim School has raised over $4,800 in just three weeks to provide a brand new wheelchair for Christmas. The presentation of this wheel chair/stander to Caleb Saiz will take place at The Watersafe Swim School & Aquatic Center in Los Alamitos on Friday, Dec. 16. All those who donated as well as the local media have been invited to attend. The event will also be broadcast on Facebook Live.
