Friday, May 24, 2019
Happy Birthday, Nylarose
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!
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Today is Jacob's Fifteenth Birthday
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.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Happy Birthday, Hudson!
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 far, the approach has not met Hudson’s needs. . . Through Therapeutic Riding Hudson would have
the opportunity to address those same skills but in an environment that is
highly motivation and meaningful to him. . . Therapeutic Riding could help
Hudson reach his full potential.”
Happy birthday, Hudson, and happy trails.
Thank you for your
gifts that make it possible for Hudson to take Therapeutic Riding. If you’d
like to donate to Hudson’s equine therapy, we make it easy on our Facebook
page, Jacob Beachy Fund. Just click
the DONATE button. We also welcome
your checks, sent to Jacob’s Fund, 1630 Tipperary Drive, Middletown, Ohio
45042-3875. If you’d like to know more about Jacob’s Fund, hippotherapy, or
therapeutic riding, please contact us at 513-423-0108.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Thanks, Moms!
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
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Because of Your Smile
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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 age six, giving a horse verbal commands to follow at age fourteen when
you’ve been silent with autism since age two, going for days after a
hippotherapy session without having a single meltdown when your history is of
one meltdown after another – these are the victories we celebrated over the
weekend.
You’ll hear more of these children’s stories as we feature
each child on Jacob’s Fund’s blog. But right now, just look at those smiles!
Thank you for your continued support of Jacob’s Fund. If you’d
like to help put a smile on these little faces, we make it easy for you to donate
through our Facebook Page: Jacob Beaachy Fund. Just click the Donate button. To donate with a check,
please address it to Jacob’s fund, 1630 Tipperary Drive, Middletown, Ohio
45042-3875. We are grateful for your help.
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
When it Gets Real
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 own special way.
Their smiles are indelible in our memory. Their stories come to life.
We’ll be sharing those stories with you over the next few
days. Our schedule is filled with meetings with parents, and for that we’re
grateful, because that means that we are able to support more children than
ever before through Jacob’s Fund.
Sharing is important. You’re the reason these kids are able
to receive therapy on a horse, strengthening their core, improving not only
their immediate physical abilities, but their lives for many years to come. The
great strides in speech, interaction with family and friends, and skills for
life are possible because you care, and you contribute to make life better for
these children.
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Focus on Johnathon
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 McKenna Farms in February, we
wanted to know more about this amazing young man.
Johnathon is fourteen; he’s been diagnosed with autism. He
stopped talking at three and a half years old. The next few years were up and
down for him. A team of very helpful clinicians and teachers worked with him
for two years. Then, his teacher left. Johnathon slipped back; once again he no
longer talked.
But in May, his mother, determined to find a new program for
him, discovered McKenna Farms. After his first visit, he came home excited and
eager to tell his dad multiple details about his experience at the farm. Since
then, he’s begun to thrive, and once he discovered the horses, Johnathon’s been
on an upward trajectory. He loves his horse, Coal, and Coal stimulates him to
do excel.
Jacob’s Fund is thrilled with Johnathon’s accomplishments
and we are grateful to be a part of his growth as he works hard to reach his
full potential.
“He is a unique young man with unlimited potential. His
focus and drive earned him the Focus award,” said Bryan, his therapeutic riding
instructor.
We’re cheering Johnathon on and we hope you do, too.
If you’d like to help this kind and capable teenager further
along the road to a bright future, please consider donating to Jacob’s Fund.
Our address is:
Jacob’s Fund
1630 Tipperary Drive
Middletown, Ohio,
45042-3875
If you’d like to learn more about Jacob’s Fund, or would
like to volunteer at one of the facilities we partner with, please contact us
at 513-423-0108.
We’re grateful that you want to help Johnathon and our other
Jacob’s Fund’s Kids live the fullest possible lives. Thank you.
Friday, February 1, 2019
Show Your Colors!
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 been able to help kids
with all kinds of impairments through hippotherapy and therapeutic riding. Some
of these delightful children have heart defects.
Jonah
Among them is Jonah, who has some of the same heart
defects that Jacob had. Part of his heart is missing on the left side. Jonah
has a mass of gorgeous blond hair, big eyes and a mischievous grin that tells
you right away that this boy has a great sense of humor. We met him before he
was old enough for preschool, but now he’s in school and doing well. Jonah’s
family makes every effort to help him and seek out the necessary services that
he needs. Life with multiple heart defects means many hospital and doctor
visits all along the way.
As I think about our wonderful Jacob, several other children
we’ve learned about come to mind: Timothy, Luka, Charlie. All of them are
dealing with multiple heart defects. They, like us, fervently hope and pray for
help and healing for their children.
While we can’t magically make that happen, we can do
something. Contribute to the American Heart Association. Donate to Jacob’s
Fund.
And WEAR RED today! Now’s the time to show your colors.
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