Kelly's Story

What would it be like to be born without a major portion of your brain? Kelly faced just that, being born without a cerebellum.

The cerebellum controls motor and balance, so she had no language and was unable to communicate to the world around her, barely able to hold her head up (let alone walk) and her entire body (including her eyes) shook and moved randomly.

It appeared as if Kelly had no ability to control any part of her body. No one expected much from Kelly and no one seemed to have a clue what she was capable of…no one, except the instructors at Main Stay.

We quickly discovered that Kelly had a sense of humor and we also realized that she had huge abilities! Kelly loved riding and she loved that we held high expectations and challenges for her! Within two years of riding,

Kelly walked into the barn with the help of a walker. She consistently used sounds and pictures to ask her horse and volunteers to help her accomplish her choices. Most amazingly she gained enough control over her body to kneel and stand on the back of her walking horse! No matter how she was challenged - Kelly never once said no!