12k Swim for Sirona

Sirona holds a very special place in our family's heart. My eldest son, Jack, was autistic and when puberty arrived the clash of pesky hormones and having special educational needs was a disaster! Jack struggled to regulate his emotions and it was like living with a volcano that was always simmering just waiting to explode when something or someone annoyed him!

Like many autistic people, Jack could connect very deeply with animals, especially those who had faced trauma in their own lives, which some of the horses and ponies at Sirona have before they came to live with Hannah and her team. Jack learnt how to be gentle around the horses and become calmer within himself. Going to Sirona was the highlight of Jack's week where he could be in the fresh air, away from "annoying people" and a chance to talk to his beloved Chapas, a rescue horse from Spain. Chapas, like Jack, was very wary of people, due to the cruelty he endured from a previous owner. Chaps would not let many people near his face as he associated human hands with the chains he was forced to wear. He allowed Jack to touch the top of his head and if Jack was around today, I am sure Chapas would have let him touch him all over his face.

Do you want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money in aid of Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship CIO and every donation will help. Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

More information about Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship CIO: Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship provides therapeutic and educational equine-based activities to disadvantaged and disabled young people with the aim of increasing well-being and mental and physical health benefits.

Sirona is always in demand as there is always somebody needing their form of therapy. It works so well and helps traumatised young people to reintegrate into society and begin to enjoy life once again.

I am going to swim 12,000 metres in one month for Sirona by swimming 50 metres of Dartmouth Golf and Country Club's pool five days a week.

Due to my own physical health issues, I cannot do a land based fundraising activity but I can swim.

Sirona brought Jack so much happiness and I want as many as possible other young people to find the road to mental and physical wellbeing with the aid of Chapas, Toro and of course Hannah and her human team!

As a well known supermarket says "every penny helps", so I say a massive thank you for reading this and donating.

In case you are wondering, Chapas, is the handsome fella in his box pictured above!