Perhaps the best evidence hippotherapy works was reported by Dr. Daniel Bluestone, then a pediatric neurologist at UC San Francisco, who had been following the progress of children receiving hippotherapy treatment. Comparing MRI scans over time, Bluestone found that the repetitive movement of riding prompts physical changes in the brain.
"We think that hippotherapy is effective in helping re-work networks within the cerebellum and within the motor system up in the cerebrum," he said in a Discovery Channel documentary. "The pathways within the brain that facilitate a particular movement become reinforced over time. The more pathways you reinforce, the better the brain compensates and the better motor function can improve."
Bluestone, who now practices in Fresno, said children do especially well in hippotherapy because the child's brain is constantly developing and changing. The "sensory input" children receive during therapy allows them to re-model their neural networks. The Red Thread Promise has been very happy to have the opportunity to support Preston and Cole with hippotherapy!
Kathy and Jen, two board members from The Red Thread Promise, are heading to Haiti soon. We learned of Rivers of Hope Orphanage, located in Manothe, Haiti, through a friend who is in the process of adopting from Haiti. Jen and Kathy will be meeting with Rachoul, the Director of Rivers of Hope, in person, to assess the needs of the orphanage, and determine if TRTP can provide support. While they'll be packing light, they're taking several suitcases filled with supplies for the orphanage. The priority will be medical supplies, and we'll also be sending personal hygiene items. The biggest goal of the trip is to determine the needs, and develop a plan for supporting the infants and toddlers who live at River of Hope. You can donate by clicking on the Global Giving button on the top, right, sidebar. Thank you for your support, whether it is a prayer for this trip, or a donation.
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