Another Excellent Sailor at Challenged America, meet Eric!
After arriving in the sunny southland in 1981, Eric attended SDSU. During his sojourn as an undergrad, he took a year to head farther south, where he attended two semesters of classes in Guadalajara, Mexico. There, Eric focused on improving his Spanish fluency. He then backtracked north, to the land of the gringo, where he worked a year clerking for Michael Dodge, a local bankruptcy attorney. Having found that the study of law was the subject that stoked Eric’s fires, it was in 1986 that he set his sights on Pepperdine Law School in the sage covered mountains overlooking Malibu. After graduating from Pepperdine, the new graduate remained local for his first real job, a deputy public defender for the County of Los Angeles.
As 1994 dawned, Eric once again set his sights on a return to America’s Finest City. Transferring to San Diego as an alternate public defender he was again jazzed to settle in the land of sun and surf. It was at that time that mild symptoms of a disabling disease began to molest Eric. It was just before his transfer in 1994 that he went to seek medical aid, curious as to what was causing his nascent symptoms. Soon thereafter, he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. But Eric didn’t let MS slow him down. Like most sailors at Challenged America, Eric is a highly competitive person who played every sport he could. Surfing was his favorite, with basketball a close second. Playing golf was fun, but it was on the bottom of his list, after volleyball. Trying to be objective about his recent diagnosis, Eric states, “Multiple Sclerosis is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and the worst.”
After the disappointing diagnosis, Eric continued to do well, working and maintaining his active lifestyle. He traveled to Hawaii, Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and throughout Southern Cal to ride waves.
It was in 1998 that a light came into Eric’s life when he met Kerry. They dated for three years and finally married in 2001 in Las Vegas. A lovely woman, Kerry became Eric’s most ardent supporter. Later that year, Kerry’s son Ryan developed a glioblastoma; tragedy again visited the Brand household. The neoplasm was an aggressive brain tumor that took Ryan’s life at the age of 22, much too early.
Since he first moved to Mission Beach in 1984 both surfing and sailing have been major intoxicants of Eric. He belonged to Harbor Island Yacht Club and later joined Mission Bay Aquatic Center. He started sailing on catamarans, lasers and a Victory –16. In following years he raced on a CF-34, where he was hole-man during race season.
From 1994 onward, as Eric attempted to live a normal life, disabling symptoms continued a slow forward progression. Then in 2011, Eric suffered a severe exacerbation that sapped him of his coordination and put him in the hospital for nine weeks. He left the hospital in a wheelchair, needing to relearn walking and talking. At that time, Eric’s inability to speak or ambulate forced him into a stress retirement at the middle age of 47.
More recently, while working out at the local Y, Eric met Challenged America volunteer, Sylvia Swall, who urged him to get in touch with the sailing nonprofit. Eric has been sailing with us for a year now and thinks Challenged America is an awesome organization that has allowed him to maintain his water wings while sailing the Martin 16s’ on San Diego Bay.
As we all know, dealing with a disability can be both a physical and a mental challenge. Eric shares an email from last October with our readers:
“I got up today knowing that I was going to attempt to surf. After a restless night of sleep, due to my insecurities, and the full moon, I got ready to be picked up by my good friend, sailing partner, and longtime OB resident Daryl. I got my wetsuit and my board ready. Daryl showed up at the appointed time of 8:30 with Anne and her friend. We proceeded to the beach where Daryl knew that the OB lifeguards had a cart with over-sized tires to carry me to the water. I struggled to put on my full-wetsuit, it has not been used for five long years, and then I sat in the cart.
The waves were 1-2 feet with no wind. It was an easy paddle-out. I saw a set and tried to paddle for it, and then I realized that Daryl was hanging onto my board for my safety. Missed that first one. Plus, Daryl said he was caught in my leash. While at first this was very frustrating, it was also very comforting to know that a friend was looking out for me. I then caught my first wave in five years and pushed up. When I did, I found it easy as I am in shape from going to the gym at the Y three times a week. When I attempted to stand, my constant companion MS was there.
I could not stand due to the transfer of balance and my lack of coordination. I attempted it two more times with the same result. While I could be frustrated after surfing my whole life in very challenging waves throughout the world, I found it very nice to know that at least I was out there trying. I had been unable to stand in my own house due to my disability. I was out there, and that was enough. Do what you can, when you can! I am going to buy a new wetsuit and keep on trying.”
Kerry added, “Through Eric’s determination and tenacity he will never give up. I can’t describe to you the joy, freedom and self-confidence Challenged America has given Eric!”
— Marshall Lubin, www.Fromboys2men.com
