A New Journey
The Mosca Family is embarking on a new journey! A journey that has been a long time in the making, a journey we have been putting off for the “right” time, a journey we hope will have a positive impact on the lives of many.
When our youngest daughter, Kayla, was diagnosed with Rett syndrome at 23 months old, we were devastated. It’s news no parent ever expects to hear; it felt like the ground fell out from underneath us. We grieved for the loss of what Kayla’s life could have been, for all the plans and dreams we had for her. Our older daughters, Gianna and Abbie, had to take a backseat because Kayla had so many appointments, so many needs, and two parents who were barely hanging on. It took a LONG time - I’m talking years - for us to regroup and dig ourselves out of the hole we were stuck in. We realized were watching life pass us by and sitting on the sidelines because we were afraid of what may happen instead of adapting when things do happen. At that point, our life was filled with a lot of can’t and won’t: Kayla can’t talk; Kayla won’t walk; Kayla isn’t ever going to be independent. It’s defeating to only hear the negative. Believe me, Rett is no picnic. We have been all in for seven years now. It sucks. Just when you think you have things under control, and Kayla is stable, the Rett monster rears it’s ugly head and we have to start all over again. We needed a change in perspective.
Back in 2016, when Kayla was six, we decided to take her on the annual Rett Ski Day in Big Bear Lake that is organized by an awesome Rett mom every year. We didn’t know what to expect…our kids had barely ever been exposed to snow, having grown up in Southern California. Jack and I are not snow skiers, but for whatever reason, we thought, “What the hell? Let’s do it.” We put Gianna and Abbie in snowboard lessons for the day, and took Kayla over to the United States Adaptive Recreation Center and hoped for the best. To say Kayla enjoyed herself would be an understatement. She had an absolute blast! There was nothing better than seeing the smile on her face every time she came down the mountain. Taking this trip made us realize we should be doing more of this, not only with Kayla, but Gianna and Abbie as well. No more sitting on the sidelines.
The following year, we took Kayla back to Big Bear to ski in March for another successful trip…where she was taken down black diamond runs. The faster the better for this girl! She loves the wind in her face. Later that year we took her adaptive surfing. Living in the San Diego area, we are fortunate enough to have an amazing organization, The Surfing Madonna Ocean Project, for adaptive surfing . The next thing we tried was indoor skydiving at iFly. Once again, a big hit with Kayla. This is when we starting thinking about starting a foundation to help and encourage other individuals to get out there and try adaptive activities. So, The Kayla Mosca Foundation was born.
Our focus is being able to provide funds for families to take their loved one to ski, surf, skydive, parasail, or any other activity that sounds fun and that they have been putting off for one reason or another. At this time, we can only commit to funding activities for disabled individuals, but we hope to grow and change and offer more in the future. We want to share the joy with other families we have experienced when we see Kayla catch a wave or slalom down a slope. Seeing her smile makes it all worth it. Being able to give Rett the middle finger and defy the “can’t” and “won’t” is the best part for us. We realized Rett doesn’t define who she is; no, she may not walk or talk (although there is never any question about what she wants!) she can ski, surf, parasail and more. So take that, Rett. You aren’t going to dictate what my kid can or can’t do.
We hope you will join us on this journey. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Keep an eye out for activity giveaways. Have an activity in mind you want to try? Email us! We want to help. Want to put a group together to go do something together? Let us know!
Is this the journey we would have chosen for Kayla? Not in a million years. But, these are the cards she was dealt and it’s up to us to support her and do everything we can to help Kayla enjoy her journey.
Do the Unexpected. Go Be Awesome. Enjoy Your Journey.