You’ve Got to Keep Your Head Up

 Jeffrey is an adult in our Rehabilitation Services program. He moved here from Virginia to begin therapy in January after seeing how much his granddaughter, Lily, improved from participating in treatment sessions. Lily was featured in our end of year appeal last year!

Jeffrey’s goal was to improve his safety, balance, and coordination while walking after experiencing some falls at home. He started sessions with Sheila Stahl Butler, our Director of Rehabilitation Services and one of our physical therapists. He began his sessions on Tucker, one of our longtime herd members who suddenly passed away just before Forward Stride temporarily closed our doors due to COVID-19.

“I was sad,” he says. During the closure, Jeffrey missed the team, and despite regular video telemedicine appointments with Sheila, he still experienced less stability when walking. “I became lazy. I didn’t keep my head up when walking. You’ve got to keep your head up.”

When Forward Stride finally reopened with in-person sessions, Jeffrey returned and found a new partnership with the Belgian horse Mack. “I was happy to see Sheila and the team. I like Mack very much. He’s bigger than Tucker was.”

For Jeffrey, sessions at Forward Stride have helped him become more secure in walking. He falls far less frequently and experiences far fewer injuries thanks to the work he does with Sheila. His hopes for his future mirror those of many of our clients: “I hope to lead a normal life, and that involves walking.” Physical therapy sessions help him get ever closer to that goal. When it comes to Forward Stride’s future, he echoes the dream we all have: “I hope that they help everybody.”