Looking for a good cause this holiday season? Look no further: Equine Therapy for Disabled Children
Holidays are almost here, and with them our generous spirit gets awakened and revived. Rocky Point being so close to the border is a town where the generosity of our neighbors is greatly appreciated and also needed.
Recently I had the pleasure to attend the second annual Equine Therapy event hosted by “Corceles del Desierto de Sonora”. It was a very special event. We had entertainment with music and little girls dancing in cute Mexican traditional skirts, raffles throughout the event, food prepared by the wonderful parents of the disabled children that receive the therapy, drinks etc. But most importantly we had a live demonstration of the kind of therapy the kids receive from this wonderful family, week after week. The dedication of the Perez-Lugo family is admirable. They have 9 horses and share their time and dedication with the children and their families providing them with a unique opportunity that in many cases has brought excellent results and improved the quality of life for the children and the families of the children who attend the therapy. Aaron and Claudia, the Perez-Lugo couple, have 5 children all of whom ride horses and help with the therapies. Some of the special children who receive therapy need two side-walkers to stabilize them, one more person leading the horse and another riding on the horse with them. So the need for helping hands is great since there are many kids and many horses at each of the weekly therapies offered by Corceles del Desierto. They have some volunteers from Cima a local school but they’re always in need of more helping hands. It seems the word is spreading since the benefits of the therapy are visible and the child usually returns home more relaxed, more able to concentrate. In some instances children who didn’t talk start talking. There is improved control of gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy, in children with autism there is less inattention and more sensory seeking. They also have one girl with a rare disability called Cri du Chat syndrome, her name is Karime, she has been going to therapies for over a year and her mother couldn’t be happier with the results. She can do things she could never do before and her life is a bit more independent with less episodes. She has even stopped some of the medication. The therapy has improved her life and that of the ones around her.
All of the children receiving the Equine Therapy at Rancho San Jose from Corceles del Desierto are underprivileged and their parents can’t afford the therapy. The event was sponsored by local businesses who gave away many goods for a raffle as a way to raise funds for the upkeep of the horses. They provide transportation for the children from town to the ranch. They also have a goal to finish the shade for the horse stalls and make a new permanent shade for the waiting area where the parents sit while they wait the turn of their children on the horse. Each child has a sponsor to make these therapies a reality as there are many costs associated with the horses and all the people needed to make this happen. But there are more children awaiting a sponsor. If you find it in your heart to help one of this very special children and their families you can make a donation towards building the shades they so much need or even sponsor a child for this therapies.
I would like to personally thank all the current sponsors and the businesses that collaborated with Corceles del Desierto to make this a successful event that allows this wonderful work to continue.
If you wish to donate to this worthy cause don’t hesitate to email Claudia Lugo:
liclugogamez@hotmail.com
You can also contact me personally as this is a cause that I hold dear and I am willing to make the connection:
ritapizarro@gmail.com 602 7484134
Thank you and wish your holidays are full of people you love and you can make wonderful memories for years to come!
