JONOTHAN
Fall - 2003
Jonothan is a delightful boy with an endearing sense
of humor. Whenever possible, he loves to visit Whispering Hope
Ranch and, in particular, his friend Lucky Lady, a Ranch resident
with whom Jonothan has forged a special bond--a bond that only those
who share a common challenge can truly understand.
Jonothan and his mother, Deborah, were both diagnosed
in mid-1992 with rare forms of muscular dystrophy-Deborah with
Kearns-Sayre syndrome and Jonothan with Pearson's Marrow Pancreas
syndrome, which developed into Kearns-Sayre in 1997. Primary
symptoms of the disease are blindness, external paralysis of the eye
muscles, heart blockage and skeletal muscle weakness. Only
one-third of children diagnosed with the disease
survive.
When Pearson's developed into Kearns-Sayre in 1997,
Jonothan's symptoms worsened and he began to lose his vision.
He can now only make out vague shapes and colors.* His quick wit and
sense of humor have served him well in dealing with his physical and
emotional challenges. When Jonothan walks into a doorway, he often
responds with a laugh and a quick retort, "That's going to leave a
mark!" One of his favorite pastimes is entertaining friends
and schoolmates by singing. Some songs carry a message like "Don't
Laugh At Me"--one of his favorite songs. The lyrics relate to
Jonothan's life at school, where classmates used to tease him, in
part due to his small stature. Jonothan, 14, appears much
younger-between seven and 10-due to the Kearns-Sayre. He gives
presentations to fellow students, which curbs
teasing while
educating them about the disease.
On one of his first visits to WHR, Jonothan met Lucky
Lady, a beautiful gray mare. Lucky lost her vision at age 3 after
falling backward while being trained in Phoenix. She is quick
to offer her soft muzzle to children who want to stroke her face,
and has an amazing understanding of the needs of the special
children who come to "see" her.
Jonothan and Lucky met again this October while
staying at the Ranch with his Big Brother. Tracy Abernathy, a Ranch
volunteer who is also a teaching assistant at Jonothan's school,
contacted the Ranch in September to share a conversation she had
with Jonothan about his upcoming stay at WHR. Jonothan excitedly told Ms.
Abernathy that he could hardly wait to get back to the Ranch to see
the "white horse" with whom he had made a connection. "She is
blind like me," Jonothan said. " I look at her and she looks at me
and we stare into each other’s eyes for the longest time. We
understand each other because we both know what it is like to be
different. When I go to Whispering Hope next week I will get
to talk to her again. We love each other."
The generous contribution of time, talent and
financial resources of our donors makes it possible for Whispering
Hope Ranch Foundation to facilitate remarkable experiences between
special children like Jonothan and the animal residents. When
the expanded facilities are completed and operating at capacity, WHR
will bring the wonder of nature and animals to more than 7,000
children each year.
*Source of information: Payson Roundup
July, 11, 2003 and Nat'l Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke
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