SHORELINES

"Many people encouraged us to get Through the Lakeshore Foundation know about me and what I do. They Darshan involved with Joe's program," and Wounded Warrior Project, veterans offer to help and are always welcome explains Darshan's mother, Nalini. "I also enjoy the water sports offered by here," he says. "It's all about neighbors asked every doctor he had, and every Ray and his team. Sometimes, they lending a hand here, whether giving single one told us to go and have a bring their families, traveling from boat rides or helping with events." good time. I knew I couldn't say no." across the country. "Most of the people on the lake Adaptive Aquatics has taught skiers The family traveled to Lay Lake During the Operation Down with a broad range of disabilities, and as Darshan skied for the first time, Home camp this summer, Sgt. Randy including individuals with spinal cord Nalini recalls never seeing her son McMillan of Birmingham and his injuries, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, smile bigger than in that moment. family swam, skied and tubed together. muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, kernicterus, "It was the greatest experience of our lives hands down. We were "It's great for my family to experience this; they can't wait to get back," says McMillan, who lost both of his legs to an infection from a foot "My message is never, ever injury. McMillan has served in both the National Guard and the Army. let go of your dreams; you never know what you can accomplish." — Joe R ay, executive direc tor of Adap tive Aquatics Ray also trains competitive skiers for national and global competitions. One of Ray's students, James McLemore of Montgomery, won the Disabled Water Ski National Championship for slalom in 2012. McLemore, who was diagnosed acquired brain injuries, amputations, crying tears of joy from the boat as we special needs and visual impairments. watched him," Nalini recalls. "To see with retinitis pigmentosa, lost his him do something we never thought he eyesight as a teenager. His mother, disability, you can still ski," says Ray would do was an amazing experience." Laura McLemore, says Adaptive as he recalls stories of life-changing Darshan, whose vocabulary is up "It doesn't matter how severe the moments he has witnessed on the lake. One of those stories is of Darshan Patel, a 10th-grade student in to 70 words, couldn't stop repeating, "More, more, more," from his skis. He has been skiing with Ray for Aquatics has been a healing experience. "Being on a beautiful lake, experiencing the sun and wind is restorative to all of us. But at that Birmingham. Due to hydrocephalus, four years. Like many families, the particular time, the restoration I felt, a condition of increased fluid on the Patels are grateful for Ray. "He does and I believe James experienced as brain, Darshan is nonverbal and uses this because he loves it, and he really well, during our first trip to Adaptive a wheelchair. has a passion for this," Nalini says. Aquatics was like medicine," she says. Opposite Top: Photo by Bernard Troncale — Jirehgrace Reduque is pulled on adaptive skis on Lay Lake. Opposite Bottom: Photo by Bernard Troncale — Randa McMillan, Arian Horn and Shania McMillan watch from the dock at the Adaptive Aquatics facility as Randy McMillan and other veterans ski with Joe Ray. 6 S hor el i ne s | 2013 Vol:3

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