We simply can’t imagine life without our Cisco Storm. For our family, Cisco was the saving grace we had prayed for. He is a lifeline for our special needs daughter and would climb any mountain for her. As her mom, I will be sharing her story.
Our daughter has faced challenges each and every day since birth. She was born very prematurely with respiratory and heart issues. She bravely overcame those, but still deals daily with being adopted, being bi-racial, and having special needs.
But there’s a blind-in-one-eye horse in her life who never sees this and loves her unconditionally: Cisco. When she asks, he does, which has led to more confidence, less fear, and a true connection forged of love.
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Even after taking riding lessons for four-plus years, our daughter still sometimes struggled around horses. She would let out high pitch screams and grab the horse’s neck when she lost a stirrup, stumbled, had trouble mounting, etc.
Then she met Cisco.
The fear was still there for a short time, but she soon found out this guy was special and came into her life for a reason. The girl who couldn’t remember a two-step pattern, let alone a full ranch pattern, just one year later is cantering without stirrups, competing in ranch riding with everyone else her age, and is becoming competitive in the barrel racing with her partially blind horse.
Our girl now smiles whether she wins or loses knowing her best friend is doing his best for her. Their bond cannot be broken and this guy deserves a golden crown once he rides into the sunset and over the Rainbow Bridge. Cisco is the best therapy and medication for our child, and we are forever grateful for the divine intervention that brought these two best friends together.
He has no special papers or special titles, but he sure is special to us. —Darlene R.
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