Courage. Strength. Determination.

Born 3 months premature and given a 1% chance of survival, friends and family all held their breath and watched through social media as Seth Grogan defied all odds in the NICU. Before long, he was home - and his parents have watched in awe as Seth grew throughout the years. Cristal and Brian knew, without a doubt, there was no stopping his fiery determination to prove everyone wrong. Seth does face many challenges due to his extreme prematurity. Because of autism, cerebral palsy, sensory processing disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and speech impairments, Seth wakes up every single day and lives in a world where his mind and body are constantly at battle. 

Through therapy 9 times a week, movement academy to learn new ways to use his body, and his amazing teachers and aides at school, Seth has shown remarkable progress this year. Without the proper structure and therapy throughout the day, summer break is one of the main time frames when Seth faces regression. We can't let that happen!

Guess What??? There is something we, as Cristal's friends and family, can do to make sure he continues to grow and thrive throughout the summer months.

Here's the deal: There is a 5-week summer camp that would benefit Seth immensely.

The only problem? The cost. At nearly $4000 for the camp alone, plus travel expenses, it is simply out of reach for them.

Here's a little more about this incredible program:

MISSION:
"The mission of Apex Summer Camp is to provide and develop an evidence-based summer program designed specifically for children with ASD and ADHD. It utilizes a naturalistic camp environment to focus on building social skills, positive relationships, and self-esteem within the context of structured recreational and learning activities. We engage leading experts to provide clinical training, supervision, support, and consultation for our program."

Program Design:
"The camp program is designed to build and practice social skills and self-esteem within the context of structured recreational and learning activities. Children participate in typical camp activities including sports, games, and arts and crafts. We introduce new skills through direct teaching, explicit rehearsal including modeling and role-playing, with practice and reinforcement throughout the day across activities. Each day focuses on a specific skill such as turn taking or eye contact, with broad emphasis on key themes such as communication, participation, and cooperation. Targets of treatment include improvements in the quality of peer interactions, increases in self-efficacy and confidence, and enhanced self-regulation of emotions and behavior. The program offers 150 hours of treatment in 5 weeks, roughly the equivalent of 2 years of clinic or school-based social skills training."

Seth desperately needs this intervention.  Without a doubt, this year can be a year full of breakthroughs for him as he learns to talk and use his body in ways we all take for granted every single day. 


I've known Cristal and Seth for about four years now and never before have I seen a mother so utterly devoted to caring for and advocating for her son. To watch them together is to witness a magical connection born out of the deepest of loves. Cristal tirelessly researches therapies, activities, opportunities, you name it...if it has the slightest chance of enabling her son to break out of the shell of autism and share his light with the world, she is on it!

In addition to being a remarkable mother, Cristal is a loyal and devoted friend and co-worker. While we are trying to get her to create some boundaries :) she will bend over backward, work through the night, and put forth every ounce of effort she has to do something for someone else.

And she NEVER asks for or expects anything in return. Even the idea of setting the fundraiser up feels so foreign to her. Let's show our love for this woman and her particularly awesome son by supporting this effort. Let's raise $5000 to cover the cost of the camp registration and their travel!

What's in it for you?

Take a journey with us and watch Seth's daily progress on your favorite social media platform. Report cards, pictures, videos and personalized thank you’s as our little man fights his way through this intensive therapy program. 

Let’s get this boy to camp!