The man you are going to see in this video is called 'Izzy' Paskowitz and he grew up knowing that his destiny was to be a surfer. He traveled with his father, the legendary surfer Dorian 'Doc' Paskowitz, for most of his childhood and teenage years.
Izzy went on to have a successful career as a professional surfer and has been competing since 1983, when she won her first professional tournament. He soon found himself sponsoring brands like Nike alongside athletes like Andre Agassi and Michael Jordan.
Izzy married a beautiful woman named Danielle. They have three children, Elah, Eli and Isaiah. Isaiah was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. 70 million people have autism worldwide. Since 2002, this complicated disorder has increased by 57%, affecting one in every 88 children.
Like many autistic children, Isaiah often suffered from emotional stress. Any kind of sensory stimulation overwhelmed him. The sea was the only place where he seemed to find respite. Then Izzy came up with an idea: He grabbed Isaiah and mounted him on his surfboard. They were surfing all day.
Izzy and Danielle decided they wanted share this unique therapy with other autistic children. They began organizing day camps on the beach, where autistic children and their families could have a whole new experience surfing with the best surfers in the country.
It was Isaiah's autism that spurred Izzy and Danielle to found Surfers Healing, a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring surfing to autistic children:
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