Your donations help build a better world for our residents! Double Your Donation Today! When you give, you enable the Mountain Shadows Foundation to light up our residents’ days with activities that uplift them – mind, body, and spirit. Activities that bring joy, hope, and just plain fun into their lives. Activities like: Hearts and Hooves
Camp Able Disneyland
Visits with Santa and Presents for Every Resident Del Mar Fair Mountain High Adaptive Ski Trips Sea World And So Many More!
Everyone matters. Everyone deserves to live a rich and fulfilling life. And, thanks to the Mountain Shadows Foundation CARE Program, funded by donors like you, our residents will continue to live their best possible life. Residents like Carlos (see full story below).
“Mountain Shadows has been so good for Carlos. Thanks to Mountain Shadows, Carlos has developed his artistic talents. His art is very important to him, because it gives him a chance to show he’s not just some kid in a wheelchair. He’s an artist and he has something to give to the world.” ~Peter Ash, father of Mountain Shadows resident, Carlos
And, thanks to a generous pledge to match up to $10,000, your donation will be doubled – this month only – to celebrate Father’s Day, and the love between fathers and sons.
We are incredibly grateful to recognize two generous donors for their outstanding support. Our heartfelt thanks goes to John and Tresa Martindale, and the Gaspare Family Foundation, who have pledged a total matching gift of $10,000. Their commitment will double the impact of their generosity, significantly enhancing our ability to further the Mountain Shadows Foundation mission. Thank you for your unwavering support!
Please Click Here to Have Your Donation DOUBLED Today! |
Carlos and Peter Ash –
And the Photo Worth a Thousand Words |
MSCH-San Diego resident, Carlos, with his father, Peter. |
A team from Children’s Hospital was there, standing by, when Carlos was delivered via c-section. Born with spina bifida and hydrocephalous, Carlos was given a moment with his twin brother and his mother, then he was whisked away to Children’s in an ambulance.
“I was following the ambulance,” says Peter Ash, Carlos’ father. “I was pretty emotional, and I was saying, ‘God, why me?’ But then it immediately struck me, ‘Why not me?’ “We already had a special needs daughter, Margarita, and she was severely impaired with cerebral palsy. So, I felt equipped to handle another special needs child.
“Carlos underwent about a dozen surgeries in his first four or five years.”
And on every trip to Children’s Hospital, every surgery, every doctor’s appointment, Peter was there with Carlos, always by his side. “It was difficult, but, at the same time, Carlos and I developed this really special relationship.”
“Since I was born,” adds Carlos, “my dad was the one who took me to all my doctor and hospital visits. My dad is my best friend. I wouldn’t know what to do without him.” |
Peter Ash, and his father, Allen Ash, in Tampa, Florida. |
While Peter and Carlos have always had a strong father-son bond, Peter didn’t know his own father until he was 35 years old. “My parents separated when I was really young,” says Peter. “My mother cut off all connection with my father and his family. But, just before Carlos and his twin brother were born, I found my dad. He was down in Tampa. First thing, I went out there and spent some time with him.”
It was a turning point for Peter, and he and his dad developed a strong bond after reuniting. The father and son reunion was captured in the photo above. It was a moment in time that changed the course of their lives forever. The precious photo was passed down to Carlos, a family treasure he has cherished over the decades.
“Eventually, my dad came out to stay with us,” adds Peter. “We were living on a 300-acre avocado farm in Fallbrook. Carlos and my dad used to sit together and throw rocks down the hill. Carlos really enjoyed that. Carlos and I, we really connected with my dad. We’d go out to Lake Dixon and fish off the dock, and we’d have picnics there.”
“My grandfather passed away in the 90s,” says Carlos. “I miss him a lot. When I was thinking about Father’s Day this year, I remembered that photo of him and my dad. It was a really special time.
“I’m taking an art class at Palomar College, and decided to paint that photo onto canvas for my dad on Father’s Day. While I was painting, I was thinking of my grandfather the whole time – of throwing rocks down the hill together. It was emotional. I think that’s the last memory I have of us together.” The painting created by Carlos, below, shows the two men who shaped Carlos into the man he is today. “It means a lot to me. And, for Father’s Day, I wanted to say ‘Thank you,’ to my dad for all of the good times we’ve had since day one. I wanted to say ‘I love you’ to my dad and best friend.” |
Carlos’ painting for his father, celebrating Father’s Day (see original photo, upon which this painting is based, above). |
Carlos and his father have always shared a love of art and music. They often paint together. “Thanks to Mountain Shadows programs, the artist in me came out,” says Carlos. “I don’t know what I’d do with myself, my life, without art.”
The father and son also share a love of musician, Carlos Santana. Peter loved Santana’s music so much that he says, “I named Carlos after him.”
Adds Carlos, “When I was 12 years old, my dad and I went to see Santana in concert, and I got to meet him. He gave me an autographed picture. When I met him, I took his hand, and I was trying to say, ‘You are the greatest guitar player who ever lived, and you inspired me to play the guitar.’ But I’m like, ‘You are the …’ and I choked up. I started crying. It was so emotional. So, I cried. “I used to play the acoustic guitar, but I’ve lost some flexibility in my hand, and I can’t do that anymore. So, I had to give that up. I took up the lap steel guitar, after that. But I only break the guitar out now when my twin brother and I play at open mic night.” |
Carlos, assistant coach, and Jake, long-time friend, of the Escondido softball team. |
Carlos and his father also share a love of softball. “I think one of the best times of Carlos’ life was when he played softball in a disabled league in Escondido. He had a ball. We went to all of his games. He played for 5 or 6 years, and then stayed on as assistant coach. He just loved it. And he was good at it too!”
Adds Carlos, “I don’t let the wheelchair stop me. Whatever I set my mind to do, I do to the best of my ability. I want to inspire people and put smiles on their faces, whether they’ve had a bad day or not. I believe I’ve been put on this earth to help others. There are times where I wish I could do things a normal person can do, but I just have to figure out my own way to do things.” |
Diego (#12), Carlos’ oldest brother; Ezra, brother; friend (with hat); Richard (off-white shirt/shorts), Carlos’ twin brother; Sarah, younger sister; Carlos (Padres shirt). |
“Mountain Shadows has been so good for Carlos,” says Peter. “Having a child with special needs makes parents face reality. Some people give up and send their kids to an institution. That was the last thing we wanted to do. Our daughter, Margarita, lived her whole life with us at home. Carlos, we only moved him to Mountain Shadows when we just couldn’t do the lifting and extra care he needs anymore. We took care of him as long as we could.”
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Carlos and his aunt, Alex. |
The Ash family at the Grand Canyon. From left to right: Mother, Yolanda, holding twin brother, Richard; sister, Margarita, and Carlos, in wheelchairs; brothers Diego and Ezra; Father, Peter. |
“I’ve learned a lot about myself from Carlos,” says Peter. “When I was following Carlos in that ambulance on the day he was born, I realized everything happens for a reason.
“I think Carlos brought something to everyone in my family. It’s something most people don’t get to experience. I think he taught us to have love and compassion for others who aren’t like us. Maybe they’re a different color, or they have some kind of disability. But, ultimately, we are all brothers and sisters, and we’re all on this planet to help each other. If we can help lift up someone so they can reach their potential, what better thing can we do?
“If Carlos hadn’t come into my life, I wouldn’t be the man I am today.” |
Carlos and his father, Peter. |
As the cherished photo of Peter and his father tells a story worth a thousand words – of the unbreakable bond between fathers and sons, perhaps too, do the lyrics of the father and son’s favorite Santana song express the true meaning of the Mountain Shadows Family, of which we are all a part. Let there be light Let there be joy Let there be love And understanding Let’s work together
in harmony Let’s build a better world
~Let There Be Light/Spirits Dancing in the Flesh by Carlos Santana
Your support will help us to build a better world for our residents now.
What better thing can we do?
Click Here to Double Your Donation Now –
and Help Build a Better World for Our Residents |
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The Mountain Shadows Foundation –
Because We CARE |
DOUBLE YOUR DONATION NOW! In celebration of Father’s Day, John and Tresa Martindale, and the Gaspare Family Foundation will match up to $10,000 in donations to the Mountain Shadows Foundation!
Have your Father’s Day gift DOUBLED today!
$25 → $50
$50 → $100
$75 → $150
$100 → $200
Double another amount
Donate now and you can receive a tax deduction for this year!
Your gift will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $10,000.
On Father’s Day, and all days, the Mountain Shadows Foundation funds
activities which add meaning and richness to our residents’ lives.
Click Here to Have Your Donation DOUBLED Today!
And please SHARE this story with your family, friends, and co-workers to help grow our Mountain Shadows Family! |
Mandy Huiras Mountain Shadows Foundation Director of Development Contact Mandy today to learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation and how you can continue to make a difference in the lives of our residents:
mhuiras@mtnshadows.org |
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