Isabel Mora

To the families of Carousel Ranch, words when there were none before; steps taken unaided; smiles where there were only tears… these changes are truly priceless in the life of a child.

Yet they happen every day here at Carousel Ranch – and that’s because of wonderful people like YOU.

Each year there are children with special needs waiting for the opportunity to improve their health and quality of life at Carousel Ranch. We’re growing to serve more children and YOU can help us reach this goal. Together we can reach our goal and make a difference... one special child at a time. Please change a life through the priceless gift of therapy by donating to our Carousel Wishes & Valentine Kisses Campaign.

Double the Wishes | Your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $28,500 total, thanks to a very generous donation made by Wayne and Dianne Crawford. 

When the psychologist examining our 18-month-old son and told me that she thought Eli had autism, my heart began to pound. I didn't know exactly what the word meant, but I knew it was bad. In an instant, every illusion of safety in my world seemed to vanish. Eli didn't seem to understand anything we said. He'd developed perfectly normally until he was 15 months old, but then he stopped saying the words he'd learned -- cow, cat, dance -- and started disappearing into himself, he was truly in his own world. Suddenly, our happy little boy hardly seemed to recognize us or his 5-year-old brother. Eli wouldn't make eye contact or even try to communicate by pointing or gesturing. His behavior became increasingly strange.

I had always thought that the worst thing that could happen to anyone was to lose a child. Now it was happening to me but in a perverse, inexplicable way.

After Eli’s initial diagnosis, I spent hours researching all the different therapies we could try to help Eli continue to grow and advance. I read about Equine therapy and immediately researched the therapy and came across “Carousel Ranch” Eli had never been around horses and I was worried it wouldn’t work for him, but he loved it, he is a different child when at the Ranch, one so calm and tolerable of situations he normally isn’t. Carousel Ranch, Miss Kelly and Nora his favorite horse help relax Eli in ways he never has. He has been able to grow stronger and little things just like a simple haircut which used to be such an event have become just that a haircut for Eli, with pictures of his favorite horse he is able to tolerate just about anything. Saturdays have become his and my favorite days to see my child exceed in ways I never imagined.

The word autism, which once meant so little to me, has changed my life profoundly. It came to my house like a monstrous, uninvited guest but eventually brought its own gifts. The families at Carousel Ranch, and Eli’s wonderful therapist Ms. Kelly have made this journey so much easier by doing the challenging work and by giving kids like Eli the opportunity to experience the miracles and growth at the Ranch!