Natalee's Story - Participant testimonial

Jenn has been bringing her daughter, Natalee, to Grace TR for around 4 years for support with her cerebral palsy. Jenn identified the individual attention that Natalee receives from Grace TR as a key part of her daughter's continued growth & development. Read Jenn's full testimonial below.

Big smiles from Natalee as she finishes up her session on Rocky.

Natalee has a medical diagnosis of mild spastic triplegic cerebral palsy, which means muscle movement and control are affected on her entire right side as well as her left leg. When we moved to Iowa in 2019, my husband, Mike, and I prayed for a therapy center that would help Natalee with strength, movement fluidity, and pain relief.  It was during our in-clinic occupational therapy assessment at Kinetic Edge in 2020 that Elise mentioned the partnership between Kinetic Edge and Grace Therapeutic.  We were very eager to hear more and try the hippotherapy program and it was love from the first session.

Rocky (left) with his pasture buddy, Sky (right).

It is quite difficult to express exactly what hippotherapy has given to our daughter.  We come every week and have done so for four years.  Through her sessions with Ashley, the team, and the horses, Natalee has made huge physical strides.  Her core is strong, her balance is greatly improved, and her spasticity is lessened.  However, beyond these huge physical strides, we have also seen enormous growth in Natalee’s self-confidence, motor planning, social interactions, and sensory processing. 

...We have also seen enormous growth in Natalee’s self-confidence, motor planning, social interactions, and sensory processing. 

It has been an enormous blessing to watch this program take off, to tell others of its goodness, and to see it blossom over the last four years that we’ve been involved.  Natalee’s medical diagnosis is only a part of who she is; however, there is no cure for cerebral palsy.  It will forever be our job, and Natalee’s, to make sure she’s finding a way to fight to keep her mobility and strength.  We are forever indebted and grateful to Allison and the Vermeer family, the Grace Therapeutic volunteers, and Ashley, Regan, and the Kinetic Edge crew for championing the hippotherapy program and for being our partners in this fight.