Grand Marshal, 4-Year Old Eric, Will Help Lead the 7th Annual Walk for St. Mary's Kids & Family Fun Day

BAYSIDE, NY, May 20, 2011 (Press-News.org) 4-year old Eric never hesitates to say what's on his mind and always finds a moment to laugh with his friends.

You would never know the jovial little boy faces a host of medical complications and extreme difficulties due to his disability. But Eric never let's that stand in his way of being a "normal" child.

Eric is one of the many children chosen as a Grand Marshal to help lead the Walk for St. Mary's Kids and Family Fun Day on Sunday, May 22nd at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY because of his determination and strong will to overcome his disability.

Eric was brought to St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children in 2009 and placed in St. Mary's renowned Traumatic Brain Injury Unit where he was considered "medically fragile." He began receiving intensive rehabilitation and specialized medical care including physical and occupational therapy to help him manage his condition and overcome his challenges.

With the help of St. Mary's team of therapists, nurses and doctors, Eric quickly began making incredible strides and was transferred to the Toddler unit where he met all of his new friends.

Since being at St. Mary's Eric has blossomed medically and developmentally and quickly became a happy, social, and extremely verbal little boy who enjoys riding his bike, playing tag, and even smiling for the camera.

But, Eric's most favorite past time is visiting with his family. Eric is healing and thriving so beautifully, it is expected that he will be able to return home to his family very soon- a goal both Eric and his family achieved through the help of St. Mary's renowned team of healthcare professionals.

St. Mary's groundbreaking programs and services provide care to over 4,000 children and their families battling complex medical and life-limiting conditions due to serious illness, injury and complications of premature birth. The annual Walk for St. Mary's Kids gathers staff, patients, friends, and family to help raise funds & awareness to continue providing care for patients like Eric.

Walkers will gather at Belmont Park on Sunday, May 22nd to walk for St. Mary's Kids. The day will include the New York AutoFest car show featuring customs, classic, muscles and rarely seen vehicles. Meet & greet Team Jilli Dog, the World's only poker-playing dog. Enjoy all the free family fun day activities including games, face painting, arts & crafts and live entertainment. Lots of surprises for the entire family including Pirate Day hosted by Belmont Park featuring pirate-themed inflatables, henna tattoo artists, pony rides, a petting zoo and more!

Join friends, family, and supporters at the Walk for St. Mary's Kids and Family Fun Day. Walk for St. Mary's kids and come for all the fun! To sponsor, participate and register visit http://events.stmaryskids.org or call 718-281-8817.

About St. Mary's Healthcare System
Today one in five children has a special healthcare need. St. Mary's provides intensive rehabilitation, specialized care, and education to 4,000 children each day in the New York Metropolitan region and beyond through our family-centered inpatient, home care, and community programs. A pediatric healthcare innovator, St. Mary's created the nation's first pediatric palliative care program, NY State's first long-term home healthcare program, and NYC's first certified traumatic brain injury program, as well as one of only nine interdisciplinary pediatric feeding disorder programs in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.stmaryskids.org