Betty

Four-year old Betty is the daughter of an active-duty military family. With lighthearted enthusiasm, she independently wheels into the barn, proudly grooms her pony and is mastering the sitting trot.

She was also born with a condition described as Arthrogryposis, meaning “stiff” fingers, neck, shoulders, back, hips, knees, and feet. This condition resulted in the delayed ability to move. Betty could not roll over until after age one and first took a few steps using a walker well after age two. Betty’s childhood has been punctuated by a series of seven surgeries and up to four therapy sessions per week.

To provide Betty with a recreational activity that didn’t depend on her level of mobility, Betty’s physical therapist suggested that she enroll in therapeutic riding. With excitement and hope, her family quickly contacted Sprout about our therapeutic riding program, and came to the barn for an assessment. During this time, it was found that the Arthrogryposis made it impossible for Betty to sit in a typical saddle. While some may have seen this as the end of Betty’s riding career, at Sprout, it was just the beginning.

In the words of a volunteer, “Sprout is a place where the impossible is made possible.” In this case, the team at Sprout refused to give up on the possibility of getting Betty on the back of a horse. Determination, creative thinking, and the support of professionals in the horse community provided Betty with a life-changing opportunity to use her ABILITIES and experience the true freedom that riding a horse offers.

Betty rides side-saddle. She rides independently. And she is good at it.

Betty rides thanks to a scholarship graciously provided by the Air Warriors Courage Foundation, a group that answered the call to “Walk on with Sprout” this year, by providing riding scholarships for children of active duty military. And when Betty’s family received word that they would be moving to Kansas at the end of the year, our community of supporters rallied together to make the impact of Sprout continue past her days at our facility. In one weekend supporters far and wide raised funds to purchase Betty a side-saddle, to continue the unique essential therapy that she receives from riding.

Betty is a special girl who doesn’t see riding Phin as just a therapeutic activity, but more of a play date. In just a few short months Betty has soaked up lessons in horsemanship, but more importantly in confidence, independence, leadership and friendship. Through riding, Betty has improved physically.

To quote her parents, “Most significantly, we have noticed that since starting to ride Phin, Betty’s hips have had noticeable increase in their range of motion.”

Tyler

On October 8, 2012, 19-year-old Tyler Craven was involved in a horrific car accident in Loudoun County, Virginia. In one moment, his life changed forever.

“We received the call that every parent fears,” Tyler’s mother, Hope, explains. The accident involved an intoxicated driver and a collision with a fence, as Tyler sat in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. All individuals walked away from the wreck, except Tyler. He was medevac’d from the scene to INOVA Fairfax Hospital with a shattered skull, lacerated brain, and numerous fractures to his head and neck.
He spent the next four months undergoing multiple surgeries and in-patient rehabilitation. Tyler was later released under the care of his parents and a weekly whirlwind of speech, occupational, and physical therapy ensued with the hope of regaining the abilities his injury compromised.

Months went by. Tyler never returned to the job he once held. The individuals Tyler considered his friends moved on. Aggressive therapies kept Tyler busy, but the void of loneliness and isolation resulted in growing depression and sadness. During this time, Tyler’s family heard about Sprout Therapeutic Riding & Education Center.

Hope recalls, “As we continued out-patient treatment at the hospital we thought adding a therapy that was outdoors and involved an animal could be a dynamic that Tyler would respond to.” Doctors say that in the early weeks and months after injury, nerve cells are more likely to reach out and form new synapses and connections if the trauma patient is stimulated versus the patient that is mentally passive or less engaged socially.

As a multi-dimensional treatment approach, therapeutic riding provided Tyler with a means to increase his balance and muscle tone and encourage the use of his left side, thus reworking broken pathways. And being 6ft 5in tall, Tyler made a great partner for Duke, Sprout’s kindhearted Clydesdale cross. The connection was immediate…. and Tyler was no longer alone.

The essence of riding is hinged upon a partnership between a man and a horse. The development of this bond is equally physically and mentally challenging. At Sprout, the relationship is deepened through support of professional staff and dedicated volunteers. “Sprout has helped us to feel that we have a team. All the staff give their heart and soul to connecting with the students. As a result, Tyler’s heart has been touched in a way that the medical establishments could not have accomplished. The hospitals have their purpose but there are deeper aspects of challenges that only can be reached through unique places like Sprout.”

Tyler is a walking, talking miracle. Through adversity Tyler has chosen to rebuild his life with patience, persistence, creativity and hope. Tyler rides Duke independently - working continuously to perfect the art of dressage. He memorizes multi-step tests, hones his technique and rides with gusto. In the spring of 2013, Tyler indicated his desire to re-enroll in public school. Tyler proved his ability to assimilate to a learning environment by showcasing his skills at Sprout. School officials were impressed, and Tyler was given a second chance at earning his high school diploma.

Tyler chooses to live, to love, to laugh, and to give. As a fixture on the volunteer roster, Tyler worked an average of 20 hours per week at Sprout through the fall. Tyler’s mother explains, “volunteering has allowed him to prove himself in a safe and nurturing environment with people who understand his limitations but who also hold him accountable.” Tyler is known as the “tack master” at Sprout - he takes special care of the leather to ensure its good condition. Tyler works multiple days per week cleaning and conditioning bridles and saddles. He finds value and purpose as an essential team member of Sprout, and now speaks to groups about the impact of choices, the effects of trauma, and the power of resilience.

Charlie

Charlie doesn't like to follow the rules....

From the moment his parents received potentially fatal news 18 weeks into their pregnancy, in his mother Kymberly’s words Charlie has been “turning our world upside down.” At twelve years of age, Charlie has spent as much of his time in the hospital as out of it with over 250 hospitalizations, surgeries, procedures and ER visits!

Charlie was born with the diagnoses of Down syndrome, chronic collapsed lungs and severe airway lesions. As an infant, after almost death from aspiration, tubes were permanently inserted into his abdomen to bring a liquid diet to his stomach and to digest nutrients for his small intestine. His toddler and childhood years were punctuated by hospital visits and placement of a mediport to allow family and round-the-clock nursing staff to administer IV fluids and medications when needed. In 2013, a routine biopsy revealed an extremely rare gastric carcinoid tumor. On top of everything else, now Charlie also had cancer.

In the face of Charlie’s medical challenges, his parents epitomized dedication—ardently supporting their son’s will to live. Despite this, Charlie was fragile and homebound—living in an isolated world. Then in 2012, in an effort to create a positive therapy experience and a chance to connect with others in an inclusive environment, Charlie’s mother contacted Sprout.
The staff at Sprout offered a listening ear and a desire to serve. A grateful Kymberly wrote soon after Charlie joined Sprout, “Thank you for all you are doing to help us. It makes me cry because I didn't have to ``fight`` to get something good for Charlie. You have no idea how your ability to understand our situation and your willingness to help us is so rare and special.”

In weekly sessions aboard his “best friend” and therapy horse Phin, Charlie works on core and leg strength, communication and other life skills. And, the horse’s modulated rhythm helps regulate Charlie’s nervous system. Of all the treatments and therapies Charlie receives, his family feels that, “therapeutic riding benefits him the most.” Kymberly adds “He feels tremendous empowerment and success atop Phin. He is supported with basic academics while developing necessary social skills, and shows huge improvements in expressive speech. Riding at Sprout fills a real need for socialization with peers and adults and helps him learn how to manage his needs in a group environment.“ All the while, Charlie teaches his team of volunteers and staff at Sprout the true meaning of success and happiness with his undeniable joy, laughter and love!

Charlie lives with chronic pain that doctors across the country struggle to manage. Down syndrome prevents Charlie from metabolizing narcotics and his gut issues prevent him from using NSAIDS. In his mother’s words, “sometimes the only pain relief Charlie has had from riding.”

Liam

Developmental delays from a premature birth challenged Liam’s
ability to walk, speak and eat. As the gap between age
appropriate goals and actual progress progressively increased,
his parents turned to Sprout for help….and miracles happened!
“When you have a preemie, everyone tells you they will catch up,”
Shannon Bradley (Liam’s mom) shares.

After being born at a mere
24 weeks, Liam spent the first year of his life in the NICU. After four
surgeries and countless medical procedures, Liam came home with
a g-tube, oxygen and a list of nine specialists that continue to
monitor his health to this day.

Through his infant and toddler years, Liam’s progress toward
developmental milestones was challenged by “quirky medical
problems,” leading to the diagnosis of a rare genetic disorder,
Brain-Lund-Thyroid Syndrome. The syndrome’s characteristics,
including low muscle tone and movement complications, made it
virtually impossible for Liam to sit up, walk, speak and eat. Even
with routine therapies, his body was lacking the core strength it
needed to achieve basic functions.

“If a person’s body has to work SO hard just to sit, there is no way
to add more tasks like speaking or eating to a system in overdrive,”
Shannon explains.``

Liam was introduced to Sprout and equine movement therapy through his physical therapist
at INOVA Hospital,” recounts Shannon (a registered nurse). “The nurse in me was a little
skeptical of non-traditional therapy and the weary parent in me was not sure how beneficial it
would be, but it was AMAZING. After five weeks Liam's walking improved noticeably, he
began eating and went from babbling and using sign language to stringing two words
together. When we went back to school, his teachers and therapists were astonished! Riding
was improving his core strength, coordination and biofeedback which allowed him to master
skills that were once out of reach.”

Liam is now five and has been riding for two years. With gratitude, Shannon reports, “the programs at
Sprout have been the best therapy we have encountered for him. He has really flourished and I attribute it to the core strengthening he gets while riding. There is something about having a purposeful activity to do that changes things, and spending time with his friend, Cowboy, is the highlight of his week.”

Anzhella

Developmental delays from a premature birth challenged Liam’s
ability to walk, speak and eat. As the gap between age
appropriate goals and actual progress progressively increased,
his parents turned to Sprout for help….and miracles happened!
“When you have a preemie, everyone tells you they will catch up,”
Shannon Bradley (Liam’s mom) shares.

After being born at a mere
24 weeks, Liam spent the first year of his life in the NICU. After four
surgeries and countless medical procedures, Liam came home with
a g-tube, oxygen and a list of nine specialists that continue to
monitor his health to this day.

Through his infant and toddler years, Liam’s progress toward
developmental milestones was challenged by “quirky medical
problems,” leading to the diagnosis of a rare genetic disorder,
Brain-Lund-Thyroid Syndrome. The syndrome’s characteristics,
including low muscle tone and movement complications, made it
virtually impossible for Liam to sit up, walk, speak and eat. Even
with routine therapies, his body was lacking the core strength it
needed to achieve basic functions.

“If a person’s body has to work SO hard just to sit, there is no way
to add more tasks like speaking or eating to a system in overdrive,”
Shannon explains.``

Liam was introduced to Sprout and equine movement therapy through his physical therapist
at INOVA Hospital,” recounts Shannon (a registered nurse). “The nurse in me was a little
skeptical of non-traditional therapy and the weary parent in me was not sure how beneficial it
would be, but it was AMAZING. After five weeks Liam's walking improved noticeably, he
began eating and went from babbling and using sign language to stringing two words
together. When we went back to school, his teachers and therapists were astonished! Riding
was improving his core strength, coordination and biofeedback which allowed him to master
skills that were once out of reach.”

Liam is now five and has been riding for two years. With gratitude, Shannon reports, “the programs at
Sprout have been the best therapy we have encountered for him. He has really flourished and I attribute it to the core strengthening he gets while riding. There is something about having a purposeful activity to do that changes things, and spending time with his friend, Cowboy, is the highlight of his week.”

Rebecca

Rebecca’s mega-watt smile, long dark hair and engaging personality shine as she enters the haven of her barn. The anxiety ridden city full of small spaces and staring eyes fades away as she takes a deep breath and notices the sweet smell of hay and horses. She is home.

Moving into the barn aisle, she is greeted by her closest friends as they excitedly exchange well-wishes and hugs. Seeing her horse Pacman in the distant crossties, she quickly goes to pat him and shares the treat in her pocket. She’s been waiting for Wednesday since last week and needs a dose of “saddle magic.”

Without hesitation, she mounts Pac and “walks-on.” Instantly, a sense of freedom and power overwhelm her body and soul. Her legs relax as the heat and movement from Pac warms them, while her sleepy back and stomach muscles awaken and engage. She lets out a giggle as she looks down at her friends below. She doesn’t have this view very often!

Eager to explore the wonders of the farm, she points outside and Pac complies. As they trot through the rolling fields at Sprout, she remembers how far she’s come and thinks about what she’s hoping to accomplish next. She smiles with the excitement of living without limits!

Born prematurely in 2002, Rebecca’s trials started at birth. Placental abruption starved her tiny body of essential oxygen and led to the pervasive challenge of mixed-tone cerebral palsy. Helpless, her mother Kimberly had her christened on the spot for fear she wouldn’t survive, “the doctors said she wouldn’t live 24 hours; and if she did, she’d have a very poor quality of life... but God had other plans!”

Rebecca continues to persevere through the neuromuscular challenge of cerebral palsy and life in a wheelchair. She began riding at Sprout in 2014 with our Physical Therapist, Dr. Sue Schmieg in Equine Movement Therapy (EMT), and she lives for her weekly date with Pac. Recently, her orthopedic doctors were astonished by vast improvements in her posture and trunk control -- riding Pac removed concerns of scoliosis and she was discharged!

“Not only are the physical improvements visible, but the many facets of EMT also enhance her fine motor control, information processing, communication and social skills,” says Kimberly. “But more importantly, Sprout gives Rebecca JOY! It is the collective spirit of Sprout that makes you believe anything is possible… we just feel it when we enter the barn!”