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.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Owen Owns the Arena

Image
  Owen, Enjoying Hippotherapy  Owen’s already perched on Paco’s back in the arena when we arrive at Triangle Therapy this evening, and from the look on his face, it’s clear that he thinks hippotherapy is THE way to do physical therapy. Mid-exercise, he looks up, smiling as he sees us lined up along the fence, and waves.   What a welcome!  We’re thrilled to see Owen and his mom, Amanda, again. Since last summer, when Owen’s hippotherapy was focused on speech, he’s made great progress, Amanda tells us. “Your gift made such a difference – his speech has improved so much!” We watch as he completes each task his therapist, Shannon, gives him. He’s riding backwards, up on his hands and knees, (can you do this?), enjoying every moment. “He’ll try anything he’s asked to do in hippotherapy – he loves it!” Mom says. “When we’re at home during the week, he’ll say ‘hippotherapy!’ and he’s ready to go.” Just a few weeks ago, Owen had a cardiology appointment. He’s doing well – no shortness of
Read more

Jonah! You Make Us Better People!

Image
Jonah! Jonah is a Jacob's Fund kid. Like our Jacob, Jonah was born with multiple heart defects, including hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). We are thrilled with his progress, following each step of his journey. Jonah is a special boy with an amazing family - sister Lily, dad Linn, and mom, Amy, who helps other families find the support they need for their special needs children. 40,000 children are born with congenital heart defects each year. Our hearts are with them, not only during February - Heart Month - but every day of the year. Hippotherapy, one of Jonah's favorite activities Jonah and Miles McKenna Farms Therapy Services Did you know that February is #AmericanHeartMonth ? In honor of that, we are spotlighting Jonah! His mom Amy explains, “Jonah is 9 years old and is one of the happiest children you will ever meet! He loves learning and embraces every moment. He was born with Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome (and several other heart defects), a cleft palate, kid
Read more

We Welcome Your Donations

 To friends wishing to donate to help children receive hippotherapy, we thank you for your generosity.  For checks, our mailing address is: Jacob's Fund 1630 Tipperary Dr. Middletown, Ohio 45042 OR See our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JacobBeachyFund - and click Donate. Thank you. 
Read more