Gabriel’s Story
Written by Gabriel’s parents, Anna and Christian
“Gabriel was born with a rare genetic mutation that caused multiple brain abnormalities. At his 22-week ultrasound scan we learned that he had an extremely small cerebellum, ventriculomegaly, and a fused corpus callosum. These particular abnormalities left him with a very poor prognosis for living and thriving. Regardless, Gabriel came to the world defying what most doctors predicted for him. Now at the age of 5, Gabriel–diagnosed with cerebral palsy, CVI (cerebral vision impairment), and severe development delays–continues to work hard and thrive despite his physical and neurological limitations.
NCEFT has been invaluable to his progress! Since Gabriel was a baby, he has struggled with keeping his head up, core stability, balance, sitting on his own, and more. Today, Gabriel can hold his head up for extended periods of time which means he can hold eye contact and flash that joyous smile of his! He can also hold his balance on a peanut ball with little intervention and support and can sit on his own for minutes at a time. As his parents, we have seen perhaps the most progress coming from his weekly visits at NCEFT; they really have made a huge difference! We cannot thank the staff enough- shout out to Meghan and Chris and his horsies too- Honey and Mac (aka ‘Macaroni’)!!! Gabriel lights up and is often seen with a permanent smile during his sessions, not to mention his contagious laughter.”
Learn more about NCEFT’s horses here.
