Meet Emma

Emma Adcook has always been afraid of animals. Household pets like dogs and cats cause her to stiffen up, quiver and scream. When her Nana's very sweet and slow-moving bulldog, Ali, comes anywhere near Emma, she will yell, "Get her away from me! I'm gonna freak out!" She also doesn't like stuffed animals that make noise or move. She does like the zoo but knows the animals are behind fences or in cages.

Imagine my surprise when she told me at age three that she wanted to ride the pony at the farmer's market! She did it, loved it, and I had to take her back the following weekend so Daddy could see it with his owneyes! We were living in Charleston, South Carolina at the time, but were weeks away from moving to Fishers, Indiana. Knowing of hippotherapy, I asked Emma if she would like to start riding horses as part of her therapy after we moved. She gave an enthusiastic "YES!"

My husband, Richard, and I have wondered many times if cerebral palsy (CP) explains Emma's fear of animals. Emma was born almost seven weeks early. Although we will never know the reason why my water broke on May 22, 2003, Emma developed periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), which causes her CP. PVL is caused by a lack of oxygen to the periventricular area of the brain, which results in the death or loss of brain tissue. CP is the result of this damage to the motor control centers of the brain.

Emma uses a crocodile walker to get around independently at school and in public places but prefers to crawl at home. I can only imagine that if I were unstable on my feet or on the floor and came
face-to-face with something small, noisy, furry and unpredictable, I would "freak out", too!

Rewind to August 2006. I searched the Internet for "hippotherapy" in the Indianapolis area and found
TherAplay. Emma went in a few weeks later and had her physical therapy evaluation. She had no problems riding what looked to me to be a GIANT horse! She has been riding ever since... never fearful, never questioning, always happy to be there. She will even ride when she has on her post-Botox casts and not complain.

At first she was not interested in touching the horses, but Jen (her physical therapist) told her she had to thank the horse she rode and give it a good-bye pat at the end of each session. Now she does it every time. Emma likes to go to the barn to visit the horses sometimes but wants me to give out the peppermints.

Since Emma began physical therapy two years ago and occupational therapy a year ago at TherAplay, she's come a long way. All the changes have been subtle, but they are there! When she started, she used a Kaye walker with hip and elbow guides to get around, and it was not totally independently. She changed to her more all-terrain Crocodile walker in October 2006. Gradually her trunk control and endurance have increased. Her legs get a good stretch when she rides which I think helps her get around better the rest of the day. She can walk independently with her walker now and can even use it without any brakes on, which is huge for her! She can navigate small spaces like elevators better without her brakes.

In October 2007, Emma started with tripod canes, or "pink cotton candies" as Jen has nicknamed them. I am still amazed when I see her walk across the house with them. My little girl is upright! She's pretty thrilled she can do it, too. It's still hard for her, but just last week she was up on them for 11 minutes straight pretending to Trick-or-Treat in our living room! She attends Kindergarten at Harrison Parkway Elementary with the help of an aide she adores. Her aide is there to help her navigate the classroom. I really think it is the strength and the stretch Emma gains while riding, in combination with her other therapy routines at both school and privately that contribute to her steady progress. It's the whole package deal that helps Emma be the best she can be.

Although we have private insurance, it does not cover "anything that has anything to do with riding a horse, therapy or not". We have been a part of TherAplay's fee-subsidy/scholarship program since Emma started at TherAplay. We are eternally grateful to the generous people who contribute and allow us to be a part of TherAplay's success stories. We feel very blessed to have become a part of the TherAplay family of therapists, staff and other families.

Whenever we go to a fair or farmer's market with a pony ride, our 3 1/2 year-old son, Scott, is interested in riding the pony. Emma, however, chooses another animated ride or treat because she gets to ride a horse - TWICE A WEEK!

Sincerely,

Suzanne Adcook, Emma's Mom