Marci Bowker

Little Bit Participant Family

Rare- it’s great when it’s an opportunity, a gemstone, or a yummy steak. But a syndrome- not so much. Both my boys have a rare genetic syndrome which has, from the very beginning of their lives, set them apart and in many ways isolated them from many opportunities and, often, many people due to differences in abilities and just basic capacity.

Our story with Little Bit began with a two-year waitlist- thank goodness that’s not a problem anymore! When it came our time to ride, my son Aidan was a little over four and not yet walking. As I packed him in, stroller, feeding bag, and all, I wondered what type of magical place this must be that could put my “medically fragile child” on the back of a horse. I do not come from horse people; I didn’t yet understand the possibilities of therapy on the back of a horse. I just knew that my son’s life had thus far been defined by surgeries and 50/50 chances of living and walking. I was tired of the “he can’t” and looking for hope, for life giving people and places. Well, Little Bit was just that- the beginning of Aidan’s “he can” phase of life! With his improved coordination, core strength and confidence, walking and running soon followed.

Then, our second son Andrew was diagnosed with the same syndrome, Smith, Lemli, Opitz. From the diagnosis, I put him on Little Bit’s waiting list knowing that as soon as he was able, I wanted him on a horse. At three and a half, not yet walking, he embarked on his journey on the back of the horse. Andrew, my social one who loves to work a room (or barn), has worked with Occupation, Physical, and Speech Therapists during his tenure at Little Bit, benefitting from all three unique modalities. Andrew needs friends and fun in order to mask the work of therapy.  When learning to use his AAC device (augmentative and alternative communication), Jessica, our horse handler, even built an iPad holder to attach to the back of the horse so Andrew could let his team know what he wanted to play while on the back of his horse. The entire Little Bit team contributes to the specific needs of their riders.

Now at age 19, Andrew gets on the back of  “his horse” Mae and rides like a rocket. Kelsie, his brilliant therapist, knows him so well that she has keenly crafted a therapy session- using his core muscles, and even the stretching he hates, but she is tricky, and because of that horse, the amazing enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers cheering him on, and her insights to who he is, he forgets that its work- for him it’s just time with his friends, in a place that he belongs.

For my family, Little Bit is the perfect pairing of play and work. The people there have seen us at our best, and, frankly, at some of our worst (cue Andrew’s “zest” and Aidan’s “fear”.) But Little Bit is not afraid to step in to the real- the isolation, to the rare, to the unknown. There my family finds a wraparound of belonging. At the barn my sons aren’t rare, they aren’t isolated- they belong, in fact, the people and the horses are a weekly reminder to me of just how beautiful hope and community can be.

As a parent of two Little Bit riders, one of my favorite things is to volunteer at the auction every year. I stand and watch the paddles, the enthusiasm, the willingness of the attendees to give- and I take it all in. Because this beautiful night represents the community that chooses to stand beside Aidan and Andrew and all of the riders at Little Bit. This fills my mama’s heart with hope watching the kindness and generosity of people who step into the gaps that exist for people with disabilities and allowing the magic of Little Bit to continue to provide a place of belonging and betterment to its riders. In this 50th year of Little Bit’s providing hope and life-giving therapy for its riders, I reflect on the long list of people- Kathy, Steve, Sarah, Kara, Kelli, Colleen, Roxanne- who make our weekly Little Bit trip from Everett so much more than therapy; it is our community. I am so very grateful for this legacy and so very hopeful and excited to see what the next 50 years serving riders will bring!

Find more 50th anniversary stories HERE.