Member Stories

Member Stories describe reasons we work hard as a team to improve the lives of children in central Indiana.

Cerebral Palsey Doesn't Hold Down Cole Rubendall
By Mickey Brooks

In September 2003 my grandson, Cole Rubendall, was born at St Vincent's Hospital in Carmel and seemed to be a normal healthy baby. It wasn't long though before his parents and family began to notice he wasn't progressing at a normal and expected rate. He wasn't able to establish good head control, roll over, or try to sit up. He could only navigate by rolling over or scooting on his back. And boy could he roll and scoot!

At the age of 8 months, he was diagnosed with an affliction much like cerebral palsy. It seems he had a right brain development issue during pregnancy that affected his motor skills. He was found to have the gross motor skills of a 2 month old, and the fine motor skills of a 4 month old. The great news we learned at this point was that his cognitive, social, and emotional skills were all normal.

While it was determined that his condition wouldn't get any worse, the only way for him to get any better was through the use of several therapies. Daily physical and occupational therapeutic sessions were started immediately and as soon as appropriate, speech therapy was also added to the mix. Most, but not all, of this therapy was free until Cole reached the age of two years old.

At that time he still was not crawling or walking and scooting on his back like a snake was his only mode of movement. About this time it became clear that additional help was required to continue to advance his abilities. Little did we know the blessing we would receive in finding the Children's TherAplay Foundation! It is also about this time that I first heard of Sertoma through a contact from the Sertoma club of Broad Ripple. Little did I know that my grandson, TherAplay, and Sertoma would become so intertwined.

The Children's TherAplay Foundation was established in 2001 as a non-profit outpatient rehabilitation clinic to incorporate the movement of horses as a treatment tool within physical, occupational, and speech therapy for children with disabilities. Equine-assisted therapy, or Hippotherapy, had been practiced in the US for more than 20 years, but its benefits were not widely known. They should be!

Here is a quote from Cole's mom, my daughter Amy:

"Our son Cole just turned four and has been attending therapy sessions at TherAplay for the past two years. When we began he was only able to sit up and move around by rolling or scooting on his back. His communication consisted of a few signs and a lot of pointing. We were a little nervous the first few times we saw our little guy riding on such a large horse, but it wasn't long before we began to see amazing progress. With the help of the fantastic therapists, dedicated staff, remarkable horses and a lot of hard work, Cole has made monumental gains.

Today (September 2007), he is able to walk independently 25-50 feet on a variety of surfaces. He uses a walker to navigate long distances and to chase his brother and sister. He can ride a tricycle and has developed a love of all sports. His therapists have become experts at incorporating baseball, basketball, golf, soccer and bowling into their sessions. We have seen great improvements in his overall coordination, balance, strength and most importantly, his confidence. It is no longer a question of if he will be able to do something but when he will be able to do it.

It is so much fun to see Cole on the horse now. He is fearless. He rides facing every direction, on his hands and knees and even standing. He loves to pretend he is Spiderman shooting webs at the handlers and volunteers while riding. His favorite activity is to trot: he is in constant negotiations to go fast 'one more time'. As a family we have been so blessed to be a part of such a unique organization. We are so grateful for the support, resources and friendships which have developed over the last few years. TherAplay is truly a place where magic happens, little by little, each and every day.

Those first contacts I had with Sertoma in 2005 convinced me that it was the service organization I wanted to be a part of. In 2006, I took the story of Sertoma, and the story of TherAplay, to a few friends of mine and as a group we formed the Sertoma Club of Carmel in February 2007 and selected TherAplay as the organization we would sponsor through our fundraising efforts.

Fast forward to today, May 2009. Cole is still riding horses at TherAplay two days a week but the end is probably near. He is now completely functional from a walking perspective with just a slight limp. He has never had any surgery or taken any medication - all his advancement is a direct result of the wonderful services provided to him by TherAplay.

The Sertoma Club of Carmel is about to begin its third year of operation and has contributed over $15,000 to TherAplay for support of the children they so lovingly help. 'As you drive by TherAplay it may look like any other stable and riding arena, but inside is a magical place. A place that miracles happen and dreams come true,' another TherAplay mom told me."

Destined for Carmel Sertoma
By Mat Foley

A couple of years ago, I began actively looking for a way that I could be of service to the community. As I searched, I found that many groups either had restrictions on who could join based on their occupations, else they had strict attendance requirements. Many had been established for so long that the group as a whole seemed to lack cohesiveness - acting as a mass of many smaller groups. Many more had a singular focus. This was not enough for me. I wanted more.

That's when I found out about Sertoma. This was to be a brand new club. To me it represented an opportunity to get involved at the beginning - a chance to help shape an organization in the mold of what I was searching for but couldn't find. Early on, the club adopted the Children's Theraplay Foundation to be the primary recipient of club assistance. Theraplay had a good mission - using horses to help kids with disabilities. Plus, they never said no to a family who truly needed help. It was a good start.

Little did I know, that two weeks after learning of Theraplay, my second son would be diagnosed as having a mitochondrial disorder leading to not only muscle weakness, but a full-on lack of muscle development and growth. After a trip to the zoo, where he, as a five year old, couldn't walk halfway into the park without needing to be carried, we were able to convince our pediatrician to offer him physical and occupational therapy.

We were getting daily complaints from teachers of messy eating, horrible handwriting, inattention, incomplete homework, etc... As parents, we were deeply concerned, because our kindergartner was falling asleep the minute he got off the school bus and not waking up until the next morning - physically drained from his day. We contacted Theraplay and were fortunate to have been accepted.

The results could not have been better. While the muscle weakness will be a lifelong issue, we can at least read my son's handwriting. He now climbs and plays with the other boys at school and recently, ran the bases at Victory Field without tripping once (that used to happen every 3 steps). His energy levels have drastically improved and he no longer spends every afternoon sleeping.

For me, finding Sertoma has not just been about fulfilling my desire to give back to the community. For me, finding Sertoma, and through Sertoma, Theraplay, has been a life-altering experience. I can't wait to see what's next.