The power of a pony is not to be underestimated.
They have jogged the memory of an Alzheimer’s patient far into their memory loss, encouraged a child on the autism spectrum with an aversion to the taste of something cold to lick a popsicle, and prompted Sandra Seiden’s 4-year-old non-verbal son to speak.
BRINGS US THE INSPIRING STORYOF A BOCA RATON MOM... AND HOWHER MISSION TO HELP HER OWNSPECIAL NEEDS SON YEARS AGO..IS NOW HELPING COUNTLESSOTHERS.<< IT STARTED WITH SANDRASEIDEN'S SON JACOB 17 YEARSAGO.
SHE WAS DETERMINED TO TRYANYTHING WHEN HE WASN'TTALKING AT THE AGE OF 4.
NEVERDID SHE THINK A PONY WOULD DOTHE TRICK..
BUT IT DID.
ANDYOU WON'T EVEN BELIEVE WHATOTHER KINDS OF THERAPEUTTRICKS THEY NOW DO.
THE DAYTHAT THEY ARRIVED JACOB WAS 4YEARS OLD AND HE GRABBED HISMOUTH AND HE STARTEDSQUEALING, MY PONIES, MYPONIES THOSE WERE JACOBSEIDEN'S FIRST WORDS.
HISLANGUAGE EXPLODED.
HE WAS ACHILD WHO WAS NOT VERYINDEPENDENT AND HE WANTED TOTAKE THE PONIES FOR A WALK BYHIMSELF, I FOND HIM PUSHING MYHAND AWAY READY, BEND YOURKNEES..
THERE YOU GO) FASTFORWARD 17 YEARS..
AND THIS ISTHE HOME OF PERSONAL PONIESFLORIDA.
ON A FARM IN BOCARATON..
IS WHERE 6 THERAPYPONIES LIVE.
THE PROGRESSSANDRA SAW WITHIN HER OWNSON..
SHE NOW HELPS OTHERPEOPLE ACHIEVE.
WE SEE SO MUCHGROWTH, WHETHER ITS A CHILDTHAT WAS BORN SPECIAL ORSPECIALLY DIFFERENT OR A CHILDTHATS HAD AN ACCIDENT OR SOMETYPE OF ILLNESS WITH SUCH ACONDITION..
IT CAN BE A LONGWALK THROUGH THE DAYS-- ONETHAT SOME DON'T EVEN TAKE--UNTIL THEY'RE IN THE PONIESPRESENCE.
CHILDREN INCREASE INATTENTION SPAN ABILITY TOFOLLOW DIRECTIONS YOU KNOW ACHILD WHO NORMALLY COLLAPSESTO THE GROUND DOESNWALK, WANTING TO WALK THE PONYSO IT REALLY INSPIRES THEMIT'S NOT ONLY CHILDREN..ADULTS TOO..
AND ESPECIALLYTHE ELDERLY.
WE ONCE MET AWOMAN AND SHE WAS PRETTY FARINTO HER ALZHEIMERS AND SHEWAS HUGGING THE PONIES NECKAND HER SMILE TURNED INTOTEARS AND I THOUGHT THEY WEREHAPPY TEARS AND THEN SHEEXPLAINED TO ME THAT WHEN SHEWAS A LITTLE GIRL SHE HAD AWHITE PONY JUST LIKE SUGAR ANDWHEN THE WAR CAME SHE HAD TOLEAVE HER PONY BEHIND HER LOSTMEMORY JOGGED..
JUST BY THETHERAPEUTIC TOUCH OF THESEPONIES.
SO FAR REACHING-- EVENTHROUGH GLASS THESE DAYS.
THEYARE VERY VERY ISOLATED FROMFAMILY, FROM VISITORS THEY ARENOT ABLE TO GO OUT EVENCERTAIN FACILITIES THEYABLE TO LEAVE THEIR ROOMS.WEVE DONE PARADES AROUNDBUILDINGS I HAVE FABULOUSVOLUNTEERS WHO MADE BIG SIGNSINSPIRATION SIGNS OVERCOMINGOBSTACLES, SPREADING SMILES..MAKING MEMORIES..
THE POWER OFA PONY.
THEY AREUNCONDITIONAL, THEY ARE LOVINGTHEY ARE AS GENTLE AS CAN BEAND THEY JUST REALLY MAKE SUCHA HUGE IMPACT ON THOSE THATTHEY SERVICE IN BOCA RATON,ERICA RAKOW, WPTV NEWSCHANNEL5.