ECI Monthly news & updates | | Early Communicator Calendar | | | Expanding Language Calendar | | |
CrossFit Marathon Made: Lifting the Community, One Backpack at a Time
by Amy Chavez
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For the second year in a row, Crystal and Ralph Monterosa—owners of CrossFit Marathon Made—have been strong donors and supporters of Easter Seals and the families we serve. On August 2, they hosted their annual in-house competition, Lift for Learning, with a creative and generous twist: instead of a registration fee, participants were asked to bring a backpack filled with school supplies.
Thanks to their leadership and community spirit, 60 fully stocked backpacks were donated to help ECI families with older school-age children start the school year strong.
Their commitment goes beyond this event. Over the past two years, they have consistently contributed generously, including supporting our Champions fore Charity and Holiday Cheer campaigns—and Crystal says they’re not stopping any time soon: “Anything we can do to help y’all out and the community.”
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One of the sweetest moments of Lift for Learning was our Baby Race, where our littlest gym family members—around 2 years old—took the floor and did their own little workout, running, climbing over a box and doing little shuttle runs by picking up bean bags and putting them in their buckets. These tiny future athletes are always at the gym, watching their parents train and soaking in the community. This fun race was our way of letting them be part of the day, celebrating their energy, their smiles, and the inspiration they already draw from their moms and dads. Because at CrossFit Marathon, it’s not just about lifting weights—it’s about lifting each other, every generation.
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We’re deeply grateful for their ongoing support and dedication.
Check out CrossFit Marathon Made and see how they’re building strength—inside and out.
If you are an enrolled family in need of a backpack, please contact your service coordinator. Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Spotlight Story -
Samael (Sammy) Rubin
by Maria Oredain
When my son Sammy turned 6 months, I was so excited to introduce him to so many new flavors. Every taste was met with faces of disgust, gagging and even spitting up. I tried purees, store bought and homemade. I heard that baby led weaning had great results, so I tried that. I tried sweet foods, savory, bland, flavorful. Everything I gave him ended up untouched and in the garbage, we felt so alone in our struggle. We didn't know what was wrong! I had never met a baby that hated food.
Thankfully when Sammy was 11 months old our journey with Easter Seals began! Ms. Stephanie has been such a godsend to our family, she treats Sammy with so much care and patience, and her support has only fueled our determination. Sammy has made so much progress since Easter Seals came into our lives. He gets excited when it's time to eat, he shows interest in trying foods.
We still have a long way to go, it's hard work and some days we have setbacks. Some days he won't even touch his food, those moments can be discouraging. However some days Sammy surprises us and eats everything on his tray, and even demands for more! Consistency and patience have been our guiding forces as we navigate through this challenge.
We are so grateful to Ms. Stephanie who has celebrated every milestone and achievement with us, and we are so eager to celebrate so many more!
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We Are Looking For Spotlight Stories for Upcoming Newsletters | | | | |
We'd love to share your child's
ECI journey!
If you'd like to be featured in the
"ECI Spotlight Story"
segment, click below.
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Heart & Voice:
New Monthly Segment
We’re excited to introduce Heart & Voice: Advocating for Tomorrow, a new monthly segment in our newsletter dedicated to highlighting advocacy opportunities for young children with special healthcare needs. This feature will educate and inform parents about current issues, policies, and initiatives that directly impact their children’s care and well-being. Whether you're new to advocacy or looking to stay engaged, Heart & Voice will empower you with the knowledge and tools to make your voice heard and help shape a better future for your child.
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Individuals with disabilities of all ages often struggle with medical, dental, and personal care due to fear and anxiety. Sadly, for most, the go to solution is restraint and/or sedation. At Power to Marc™, we believe that everyone deserves access to care that is dignified and respectful without fear, force or restraint.
Practice without Pressure™ (PWP) is a philosophy and process that works with the individual, their caregiver and the professional to build the individual’s capacity, confidence, and ability to participate in their own care without restraint. See the confidence for yourself!
| PWP is an individualized solution that works for any age, any ability and any procedure. It’s a time-tested and proven method created by a mom for her son and the educational and training tools are developed by caregivers for caregivers. Join us for a LIVE Webinar to learn more about medical, dental and personal care without restraint on August 12th @ 7pm. Register HERE or visit us online to learn more about enrolling in our caregiver course. | | |
When to Cancel Therapy
The Metropolitan Health District has been made aware of possible measles exposures in the San Antonio Community.
Please take the following recommended actions:
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Contact your healthcare provider if you believe you, or someone in your family, may have been exposed or are showing symptoms.
- Monitor for symptoms such as fever or unexplained rash for 4 to 21 days after exposure.
- Follow the advice of your healthcare provider on when to stay home from work, school, or other gatherings.
- If your child has a fever of 100.0° or higher, please keep them home and cancel therapy until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
Telehealth is available at your discretion if your child is well enough for therapy, but experiencing symptoms where it's best to keep therapists from entering the home.
If your child is not well enough for any type of therapy, please cancel with your therapist. Remember, when we leave your home, we go to see other children and families.
Let's all work together to keep everyone as healthy as possible.
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August Awareness Observations | | | | | |
Month-Long
- Fragile X (FXS)
- National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month (NCCAPM)
- Sarcoma - (U.S.)
Days
- August 6 - National Wiggle Your Toes Day
- August 8 - Severe ME Awareness Day (Severe & Very Severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis).
- August 12 - International Youth Day
- August 13 - International Left-handers Day
- August 19 - World Humanitarian Day
- August 21 - National Senior Citizens Day
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2203 Babcock Road
San Antonio, TX 78229
phone: 210.614.3911
fax: 210.625.3162
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Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center
is a subrecipient of
Texas Early Childhood Intervention Services and partially funded by
Texas Health and Human Services.
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