Jaxon

Jaxon, four years old

This smiling four-year-old is Jaxon. “Our sweet boy  . . . truly a miracle and blessing,” says his mom, Brittany.

Jaxon was born at twenty-three weeks. He weighed one pound, four ounces, so small he could be held in one hand. Jaxon spent the first six months of his life in intensive care.

Baby Jaxon born four months prematurely

Those are the statistics, but they’re not the sum of Jaxon’s life. He’s a pre-kindergartener with a love for horses, and horses are what are helping Jaxon overcome some of the developmental delays a preemie like him has to deal with: speech difficulties, fine and gross motor skill delays, and developmental delays. Jaxon has had multiple eye surgeries, and continues to work on balance and muscle strength.

It’s exhausting work for a little guy. He’s worked hard in clinical settings, but on a horse . . . well, therapy delivered while a child is riding a horse isn’t work - it’s fun! Underneath all the fun, though, real work is going on inside Jaxon’s body. The horse’s movement mimics the movement of the human pelvis, and the neural and muscular pathways respond to that movement. Speech and vocabulary improve, Jaxon’s core is strengthened and he builds skill upon skill with each hippotherapy session.

Jaxon, ready to ride

Jacob’s Fund is so happy to provide Jaxon with a hippotherapy ridership. He’s come so far since he entered the world way too early. He’s still on a journey to meet developmental milestones and gain strength, and Jacob’s Fund wanted to be a part of that.

Your donation to Jacob’s Fund’s fundraiser on Giving Tuesday will guarantee that we can continue to help Jaxon and the eleven other children with developmental impairments Jacob’s Fund is currently supporting with hippotherapy and therapeutic riding. It takes only a few seconds to make a donation on our Facebook Page - Jacob Beachy Fund – using the Donate button. Your donation makes a life-changing difference for children