Dear Friends,

I am trying to raise funds for my mother, Anna Ford, to provide financial support and hope throughout her healing process. She was seriously injured in a horseback riding accident and is facing a long recovery process. Please read our story to know more:

Important: My mom does not know that I’m trying to raise money. She is so self-sufficient, that she probably wouldn’t allow me to do so if she knew. If you speak with my mom, please don’t mention this.

My mom is the most energetic and selfless person I have ever known. Throughout my entire life, I remember her continually working hard to support our family and seeking every opportunity possible to serve others. For the past 7 years, she has served as the Equine Director at Maple Lake Academy, where she has shared her compassion, kindness, nurturing, and knowledge with dozens of students, co-workers, and horses. Those of you who know my mom have probably noticed she is often the first to reach out with a helping hand. When she is not working to take care of her family or make sure everything is functioning smoothly at work, she is looking for opportunities to bring comfort, health, and happiness to others. 

One of the only things I have seen my mom actually pursue for herself over the years, is to cultivate her riding and to train (or tame…) her horse Draco. My mom purchased him before he was even born and he has been her favorite project ever since. Draco is a beautiful, talented, and athletic horse, but definitely has his quirks. After many years of hard work and sacrifices, this summer she finally reached great success with Draco. This summer they competed in hunter jumper shows around Utah and together they earned the high point award of the season.

During one of the last shows of the season, my mom was thrown off and was badly injured. She was rushed to Utah Valley Regional Valley Medical Center, where we discovered she has one fractured vertebra, two cracked vertebrae, and one broken rib. In the first three days after the accident, she endured three surgeries and her pain has been immense.

She has been in the ICU for a week and will be moved to another unit of the hospital soon.  After that, she will likely require rehabilitation and may require home health and/or short term help at home. She will be wearing a brace for quite some time, and won’t be able to return to her regular activity for approximately a year.  With the kind of person she is this will be very stressful for her because she is so active and always striving to be productive.

I want to raise money to begin easing some of the stress for her by helping with medical costs, and possibly buying her a computer. My mom has always dreamed of writing a book. Those of you who know her, know she has lived an incredible life and has always wanted to write about her experiences. I want to buy her a new computer and software that would allow her to speak in lieu of typing her words, as she won’t be able to sit for long periods.  I know that having something meaningful to devote her time to will give her an opportunity to work on one of her life goals while dealing with this life-altering injury.

If you are able to make a donation, even if small, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for everyone’s love and support. It is during difficult times like these that we are truly reminded of the wonderful people in our lives. I’m so grateful that my mom is alive and that she is supported by so many great friends.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas.