From a husband's outlook.
I lost my son 20 years ago last April. It was a very difficult thing to go through. I hated everything in the world and doubted my faith in God. As time went on, my faith in God and life came back. Now that I am 52 years old and have no children of my own, I am grateful to have 3 wonderful step-children and 2 awesome grandchildren. My youngest grandchild is my 5-year-old grandson who is autistic. At first, I did not know what Autism was or what it was about. I just knew my grandson was different. After watching him, seeing how smart he is and how is learning to communicate, as well as educating myself, I truly understand what it means to be autistic.
I now see that God has given us autistic children for a reason. They teach us that you don't always need words to tell someone how you feel or what you need. But, most of all, they teach us to love again. We learn from these children how to deal with everyday problems, to organize ourselves, to trust and to build special relationships. We learn from these children more then they learn from us.
The point of all this is: my wife has this farm, Journey of Hope, and it is designed for autistic children. I watch her work from early morning until late at night. It is the first thing she thinks of in the morning and last she thinks of at night before bed. It can be 14 degrees or 100 degrees; those kids and that farm is where she is! She even quit her job to do this full time. I always wondered why? Now I know...after meeting the children she works with and our grandson, I see why she loves what she is doing. These autistic children are 'little angels on earth' and we are so blessed to have them, to know them and to learn from them.
It takes money to run a great place like this. Donations and Volunteers are critical to its survival. Please consider donating and/or volunteering. I promise you that your time and money are keeping a good thing going by allowing children to enjoy these programs at a low cost. Horses are outdoor therapy for everyone - young and old!
Proud Hubby, Larry
Grandfather point of view
I now see that God has given us autistic children for a reason. They teach us that you don't always need words to tell someone how you feel or what you need. But, most of all, they teach us to love again. We learn from these children how to deal with everyday problems, to organize ourselves, to trust and to build special relationships. We learn from these children more then they learn from us.
The point of all this is: my wife has this farm, Journey of Hope, and it is designed for autistic children. I watch her work from early morning until late at night. It is the first thing she thinks of in the morning and last she thinks of at night before bed. It can be 14 degrees or 100 degrees; those kids and that farm is where she is! She even quit her job to do this full time. I always wondered why? Now I know...after meeting the children she works with and our grandson, I see why she loves what she is doing. These autistic children are 'little angels on earth' and we are so blessed to have them, to know them and to learn from them.
It takes money to run a great place like this. Donations and Volunteers are critical to its survival. Please consider donating and/or volunteering. I promise you that your time and money are keeping a good thing going by allowing children to enjoy these programs at a low cost. Horses are outdoor therapy for everyone - young and old!
Proud Hubby, Larry
Grandfather point of view
My grandson, Jakob turns 5 years old this month. He has been diagnosed with non-verbal autism. He has great difficulty communicating his thoughts, wants and needs. When spoken to there is no eye contact from him and he has poor motor skills.
Jakob seldom shows any emotion. We are constantly trying to find activities for Jakob to participate in trying to get him emotionally motivated. We learned about Journey of Hope for Autism from a magazine article. Jakob has never showed any emotion towards house pets but we thought maybe horses would stimulate him.
Jakob took his first pony ride on Jillian, a small Pinto, at the Journey of Hope farm about a year ago. We were all pleasantly surprised that he thoroughly enjoyed his experience riding Jillian. He even fed Jillian a few carrots and gave her a pat with his hand. It has always been difficult for Jakob to touch someone but he didn’t hesitate with Jillian.
The next time we brought Jakob out to the farm he was excited seeing Jillian being saddled in the corral. When I took him out of his car seat he immediately ran to the corral and wanted to ride Jillian again. We were stunned at Jakob’s reaction to seeing Jillian. Jakob is a very passive boy and always waited at the car for someone to take his hand and lead him, but not this day.
Jakob enjoys riding the horses out at the farm and the programs that Victoria has for him. We are very grateful for the farm and Victoria for donating her time for children with autism. I can’t think of another place that provides a service like this for autistic children. God bless all associated with the farm.
Sincerely,
Mike Fleckenstein (Jakob’s grandfather)
Jakob seldom shows any emotion. We are constantly trying to find activities for Jakob to participate in trying to get him emotionally motivated. We learned about Journey of Hope for Autism from a magazine article. Jakob has never showed any emotion towards house pets but we thought maybe horses would stimulate him.
Jakob took his first pony ride on Jillian, a small Pinto, at the Journey of Hope farm about a year ago. We were all pleasantly surprised that he thoroughly enjoyed his experience riding Jillian. He even fed Jillian a few carrots and gave her a pat with his hand. It has always been difficult for Jakob to touch someone but he didn’t hesitate with Jillian.
The next time we brought Jakob out to the farm he was excited seeing Jillian being saddled in the corral. When I took him out of his car seat he immediately ran to the corral and wanted to ride Jillian again. We were stunned at Jakob’s reaction to seeing Jillian. Jakob is a very passive boy and always waited at the car for someone to take his hand and lead him, but not this day.
Jakob enjoys riding the horses out at the farm and the programs that Victoria has for him. We are very grateful for the farm and Victoria for donating her time for children with autism. I can’t think of another place that provides a service like this for autistic children. God bless all associated with the farm.
Sincerely,
Mike Fleckenstein (Jakob’s grandfather)
A story about Madison
My daughter, Madison, is 10 years old and loves children and animals. She had been begging me to find a place she could volunteer and help others. When I read about Journey of Hope 4 Autism, I immediately knew this would be a great fit for her. I reached out to Victoria and she immediately responded that she would love the help! I brought Madison there for the first time about a month ago and we have been going every weekend since. We have both been volunteering and it has been the most rewarding experience I have ever had. To see the joy and excitement in the children when they come out to the farm is overwhelming. You can also see how happy and relaxed the parents are. They know the children can be themselves and no one is judging them.
I have to admit that I was clueless when it came to understanding autism and that is something that I am ashamed of. I knew very little of the struggles both the children and parents face. After spending time with some of the parents I realized how easy I have it and how difficult their daily routine can be.
When the kids come out to the farm they are able to run, play and best of all, interact with the horses. I haven’t been around horses much in my life but I am learning. The connection the horses have with the children is amazing. To see a child’s face light up when he sees the horse is like nothing I have ever experienced. Some of the children are non-verbal and when they are riding on the horse, they try so hard to talk and communicate. You can see the excitement in their face.
Children can be afraid of so many things but they show no fear with the horses. The horses have such a calming effect on them. Victoria is an amazing person and this program is so important to her and the families. Victoria’s only wish is that she can help more children. Unfortunately, running a farm and caring for these horses is very expensive. My daughter and I will continue to volunteer our time and do what we can to help this great cause. I only hope that Victoria is able to get the financial support she needs to keep it going for a very long time.
Sincerely,
Melody Valdes
( Chesterfield, VA)
I first heard of Journey of Hope 4 Autism on Facebook. At that time my son, Gabriel, was nine and had been diagnosed with Asperger's for two years. It had become apparent to me that team sports were not going to be an option for him. My first thought was that it would be great if my son turned out to be as horse crazy as I am. My second thought was that this would be something I could really get excited about him doing. This was something I knew a little about. You see, I had taken riding lessons as a child. Not very many and not for long since lessons were an expense my parents couldn't regularly afford. But of all the things I was taught in those lessons the thing I remembered most clearly was how hard it was to fit in with the other riders. Me in my jeans, Walmart boots and borrowed helmet did not fit in with the girls in their breeches and half chaps showing off their new saddle. That's not to say that they were mean to me, at least not to my face, but horses are expensive. Therefore everything to do with horses is usually very exclusive. My son, with his already awkward and sometimes inappropriate social behavior would be a pariah at the barns I was used to. But I had hope in Journey of Hope. I contacted Victoria Bryant to find out how much it would be for lessons. I couldn't believe what she said. It was FREE! Free just so happens to be my favorite word. She also mentioned she was in need of volunteers to help out around the barn. Well, I just so happened to enjoy taking care of horses. We set up a time to meet. I can't honestly say if I or my son were more excited. That first lesson was a revelation. It wasn't a boy learning about horses and riding from an instructor. And it wasn't a boy with Asperger's doing therapy in a calm environment with a teacher who understands his differences. It was actually both. That first day I watched my son calm his frustrations at his inexperience faster than I had ever seen him do before. He had a smile on his face when we got there and he had a smile on his face when we said goodbye to the new friends we'd made. Every day at the barn since then has been like that first day. Gabriel and I love Journey of Hope 4 Autism so much we talk about it constantly. We've invited everyone we know to come out and enjoy it too. What started out as a fun therapy for my child struggling with Asperger's has turned into a family affair. My boyfriend, Brian and his children have begun coming out to the barn as well. It's a great way for us all to spend time together on the weekends. And since coming out to the barn I've noticed changes in Brian. You see he is a veteran. He was in the army for twelve years and did two tours overseas. I did not know him when he was in the military but I see the affects every day. Insomnia is only one of the symptoms of the PTSD he suffers from and I already see an improvement. He falls asleep faster and stays asleep longer after being at the barn and helping with barn chores. Brian has told me that the horses calm him. We think it is because they are honest and consistent in their reactions to him. If he's not sure if he's overreacting, the horses will let him know. If he's having a bad day he's learned to let it go or the horses won't do what he wants. And that is the magic of Journey of Hope 4 Autism. Every day the horses have something to teach us about ourselves. We are lucky enough to have Victoria to help us translate.
Nicole O
(chesterfield, VA)
