ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — There is an area nonprofit that may have the word “mini” in its name, but the impact it's having on children could be considered huge.
Once a month, Honey’s Mini Therapy Adventures visits the kids at Banyan Pediatric Care Centers, but December is extra special.
“The horses, we dress them up as reindeer all month long,” said Founder Mary Rose Gullet. “Christmas doesn’t look the same to every family and so being able to share something very special, that’s very near and dear to our family’s heart with others, it’s just a little gift that we can give."
These children receive skilled nursing on a daily basis for an array of medical complexities. A visit from these mini horses, disguised as reindeer, could be the highlight of the holiday season.
“Especially for these St. Pete city kids, this sometimes is the only horse they’ve ever seen, ever will see. They only know horses in their books, in their songs, on the TV, so it’s truly a celebrity,” said Speech-Language Pathologist Emmy McNally.
“You almost magically see both the child and the horse relax together, and it’s really cool to see," said Gullet. “They know their job, they come in, they love these kids.”
However, one particular child, 5-year-old BJ, has stood out among the rest. BJ suffered an anoxic brain injury after a near-drowning accident at the age of two.
His connection with Bell has been life-changing.
“We see BJ suddenly now he’ll turn his head to his affected side, he’ll start vocalizing, he’ll light up, his eyes will get big, he’ll start smiling, he’ll reach directly for her, reach his head down to give her a hug and those are things we don’t typically see him do so you can tell that’s the power of Bell,” said McNally.
BJ’s mom said they may be called miniature, but the impact Bell is having on her family is anything but mini.
“The miniature horse coming and visiting BJ, like to some that’s small, but to me, that’s big, to our family that’s huge,” said mother Shakilya Lewis.
“If it helps one kid, it’s worth every bit of work that’s gone into it behind the scenes,” said Gullet.
Who knows? Maybe BJ will find a fluffy tail sticking out from under the tree on Christmas morning.
“Like I always wanted to get him an animal, but now I feel like I should get him a mini horse because the relationship they have is heartwarming,” said Lewis.
Lewis’ family is holding a Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Awareness event at Prayer Tower Church of God on Feb. 17, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information on Honey’s Mini Therapy Adventures, click here.
