Fios 1 News Long Island—August 14, 2017
In a Fios 1 News Long Island segment, the Adaptive Sports Academy at HSS hosted an adaptive surfing day in Long Beach, Long Island for patients with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects body movement and muscle coordination, but with the help of trained instructors, the children were able to surf and enjoy themselves.
"We watch them grow, we watch them continue to develop, and really do things that they never thought possible both when it comes to their recovery and outside, so this is an example of that," said Peyton Katz, patient care coordinator at HSS.
HSS physical therapist Siobhan Clarke PT, DPT, PCS said adaptive sports like surfing are beneficial to her patients because it encourages mobility. "On a day like this, they get to be free, but at the same time, work on a range of motion, trunk control, a lot of times breathing can be difficult because of tight muscles so they get to expand their chest on their board on their bellies," Clarke said.
One mother spoke about her daughter’s experience at the surfing event. "She’s having a good time socially, I’m having a good time because she’s having a good time. How can you beat this? This is surfing for a child with a disability. That’s as good as it gets."
This segment originally appeared at fios1news.com. This aired during the August 14, 2017 broadcast.
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