GRANDPARENTS FILL THE GAP.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY

Gus Bracamonte looked tired. At 67, the former construction union worker never thought he'd be spending Sunday morning trying to keep up with five grandkids as they raced around at a Christmas party in a Northridge skating rink.

``I figured I'd be living on a ranch somewhere up north by now, kicking back,'' he said. ``Have the grandkids come up for a few days, then send them home. Didn't happen.''

Instead, Gus and his 62-year-old wife, Julia, are living in a three-bedroom apartment in Reseda with their five grandkids. He had to come out of retirement in 2000 when his daughter dropped the kids off on his doorstep one morning.

``She fell in with the wrong crowd,'' Gus said. ``I wasn't about to see my grandkids put in foster care - no way.''

So Gus and 75 other senior citizens found themselves at Skateland on Sunday morning, trying to keep up with their excited grandkids as they waited for Santa Claus to arrive.

A big, loving smile on his face, but looking dog-tired. That's the way it is when you're old enough to collect Social Security, but still potty-training toddlers or helping teenagers with their homework.

``Thank God I'm healthy,'' Gus said.

His story is typical of just about every grandparent who was in the room, said Sylvie de Toledo, who founded GAP - Grandparents As Parents - in 1987 after her own parents took in their grandson when Sylvie's sister died.

``They're all on an emotional roller coaster - overwhelmed and tired, but knowing they're doing the right thing,'' she said.

There were 10 grandparents in her first support group almost 18 years ago. Today, there are hundreds of grandparents in GAP groups all over Los Angeles County.

Almost 7 percent of all households with minor children in California are headed by grandparents - an estimated 625,000, according to the 2000 census.

Grandparents filling in for parents - for their own children - who have failed at the job. Usually because of drug and alcohol abuse, Sylvie said.

Grandparents putting their own retirement dreams on hold to do the right thing.

``Look at their faces,'' Sylvie says. ``They love those kids with all their heart.''

That's the upside to the job, said Rosalie Curran, 58, who has cared for her 11-year-old granddaughter, Rose, since the girl was 3.

``She's made me a younger person,'' Rosalie said. She laughed as Rose chased a balloon. ``We have such a closeness. It's so nice to have a child around.''

Nice, but challenging, said Wanda Cooper, who has cared for her 6- year-old grandson, Simeon, since he was 9 months.

``Until I found GAP, I thought I was alone,'' the 51-year-old woman said. ``But look around. I'm not. We come in all colors, ages and economic levels.''

Like a lot of these grandparents, Wanda was devastated when her own daughter abandoned her child.

``I didn't know how I was going to take care of him full time, but looking back now, I wouldn't have it any other way,'' Wanda said. ``He's the wind beneath my wings. He keeps me going.''

There are some wonderful rewards that come with raising your grandchildren, these dedicated people say. Rewards that include even finding a new lease on life.

Allen Gewertz, 55, swears that is what his 9-year-old granddaughter, Destiny, gave him three years ago when her baby sister, Tiffany, arrived.

``We were standing in the hospital pediatric ward looking at Tiffany in an incubator when I told Destiny I didn't think I could take her home to come live with us.''

Allen knew his own daughter would be unable to care for this baby, too, and that the responsibility would fall to him and his wife, Dawn. Again.

But he hadn't told Destiny that he had been diagnosed with liver cancer, and he wasn't sure how much longer he had.

``She looked up at me and said, 'If God wants us to have her, we will.' Well, God must have wanted it,'' Gewertz said.

He and Dawn brought Tiffany home from the hospital to grow up with her older sister. And his cancer has been in remission ever since.

``The rewards of watching these girls grow up are just incredible,'' Gewertz said, taking his granddaughter's hands, and introducing them to Santa Claus.

For more information on GAP, call Sylvie de Toledo at [phone].

Dennis McCarthy, [phone]

dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Christie Leon, second from left, skates at a Northridge rink with children brought by their guardian grandparents.

(2) Sylvie de Toledo gets a hug from her dad, Andre de Toledo, who helped inspire her to found Grandparents as Parents or GAP. Her parents reared the son of Sylvie's deceased sister.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer