Happy seventh birthday, Nyla. Everyone who meets this little ray of sunshine comes away a little happier. We're wishing her the best of birthday celebrations today. Nyla, who has Cerebral Palsy, takes physical, speech, and occupational therapy at McKenna Farms and loves doing her Occupational Therapy as hippotherapy. Keep smiling, Nyla, and keep riding!

Today, Jacob Noah Beachy would have been fifteen years old. He lives on in the memories we hold dear, and we celebrate his life. Through these photos we hope you get a glimpse of the boy whose life has changed that of other kids with acts of love through Jacob’s Fund.

Hudson with Mom, Ashley “Hi, I’m Hudson,” said the cute little red-haired boy with a winning smile. He readily introduces himself when he meets new people. Hudson turns ten today. He’s open and energetic, plays sports, and is on a swim team Hudson was born with Down syndrome. He began therapy at three months through Babies Can’t Wait, a program for young children in Georgia. With ADHD, OCD, an immune deficiency, and a severe hearing loss, he has a lot on his plate for a little guy. When we met Hudson, he was between medications to control some of those issues. His doctor had taken him off the medication he’d been taking when he gained fifteen pounds in three weeks. His speech is amazing, especially with Down syndrome and the degree of hearing loss. His Occupational Therapist, Jeanna, says “In therapy, we have been working on higher level skills for increased independence such as self-care, responsibility, safety awareness, and emotional and self- regulation. Thus f...

Last week we wore hats for the Derby Day festivities at McKenna Farms. This week, we’re taking off our hats – to the moms we met last week and their counterparts who work their hardest to find resources that will help their children who experience developmental delays. They stretch budgets to the limit to ensure that their children can get the best possible care. They drive for hours to and from medical and therapy appointments, and they wouldn’t have it any other way, because they’re moms. So today, we honor these ladies who take momness to a higher level. Thank you, Melissa, Jana Ashley, Odette, Kristen, Chaka, Rodley, and Crystal. It was great to get to know you, and to know that you are in charge of your child’s care

Weston Nyla Hudson Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful.                                                                                 Thich Nhat Hanh Sometimes they smiled at us; sometimes they smiled at their mom, their siblings, or their horse. No matter, these children’s smiles did make life more beautiful for us this past weekend. The three days we spent at McKenna Farms in Dallas, Georgia, filled us with joy and brought out our smiles, too. Seeing and hearing both moms and children tell of their victories: sitting up unsupported for the first time at ...

On the move . . . Our bags are packed, we’re ready to go. In the next few hours we’ll move away further and further away from the file drawers and cabinets where we keep records for the children Jacob’s Fund sponsors and move south, to warmer climes and swelling hearts as we draw closer to McKenna Farms. Because we live at a considerable distance from the farm, these trips to meet the Jacob’s Fund children and families are freighted with emotion and meaning for us. We’ll have the opportunity to talk with moms and dads face to face, and to see the marvelous little ones in action on a horse. We know the diagnoses of these children, why hippotherapy and therapeutic riding will help them. It’s all in the files in black and white. We’ve talked to parents on the phone, and we know how excited they are to see the progress their children have made But nothing can match the time we spend face-to-face. That’s when it gets real. Each beautiful child shines in his or her ...

Johnathon, a true winner, wearing his medal, with his therapeutic riding instructor, Bryan There are a lot of things about Johnathon that make him a winner, says Bryan, his therapeutic riding instructor:                 ·          Exceptional listening skills ·          Eagerness to excel ·          Willingness and desire to learn new things ·          Having a sweet and kind disposition ·          Being motivated by his own perception of success ·          His positive outlook ·          Character When we learned that Johnathon had won the medal for Focus at McKenna Farms Annual End of Year Horseshow at McKe...

I’m wearing a long red fleece jacket on this cold day. If you haven’t donned your red duds yet, take time to do that when you’ve read this post because today is WEAR RED DAY! Jacob February is Heart Month. Many of you know the story of our Jacob, in whose memory Jacob’s Fund exists. Jacob was born with multiple heart defects and underwent several open heart and other surgeries. It was after his last surgery that he contracted MRSA in the hospital and died six weeks later. What you may not know is that severe heart defects can result in developmental delays and impairments. When Jacob began hippotherapy at McKenna Farms in 2006 at age two, he hadn’t yet begun walking. Once he began hippotherapy (therapy using the horse as a tool), he walked, and ran, and his speech and vocabulary expanded immensely. I’ll never forget when he asked, after seeing me wear one, “Grandma, can I have a pedometer?” Uh, yes! I clipped it to his diaper. Since we founded Jacob’s Fund, we’ve...