Lauren was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was 18 months old. Because of the extreme tightness of the muscles in Lauren’s body, her parents were told that she would never be able to do things like eat, sit up straight, talk, and walk.
Lauren’s parents decided to push forward with trying to find her the best opportunities for therapy.
“Go forth unafraid.”
These are the words Lauren said her parents continually told her.
“They knew right from my diagnosis that they were going to go to the ends of the earth to make sure I had as much access to as many different treatments as was available to me.”
So when she was three years old, Lauren had hip surgery to realign her hips from being pushed out of their sockets from the stiffness in her pelvis. During her recovery, a rehab specialist suggested what was at the time a rather unconventional form of therapy: horseback riding.
Lauren’s parents were hesitant initially. At this point, Lauren was not able to separate her legs, so they were apprehensive that she would be able to actually sit on a horse. But with their “Go forth unafraid” attitude, they agreed to let Lauren try.
And on her first lesson, Lauren, now a young adult, experienced what she refers to as her largest physical milestone. After stretching with physical therapists, it was time for Lauren to be lifted up onto the horse. “1,2,3 came, and with no physical, chemical explanation to date, I separated my legs for the first time ever, on my own, and sat on that horse for a 30 minute lesson, upright in the saddle.”
It didn’t take long for the horse therapy to help with Lauren walking independently. But Lauren experienced more than just the physical benefits of horseback riding. It was a sport she fell in love with and became a decorated champion in. She even trained one of her horses to become a therapy horse to help others like herself.
“Riding has been a very pivotal force in my life … Riding has been a recreational outlet in where I can experience this freedom and this independence that I could never experience on the ground due to my disability.”
Watch the video of Lauren’s Ted Talk where she describes her horseback riding journey, the ups and downs she’s experienced, and how she learned to embrace her disability.