Brownsburg Magazine April 2021

MAGAZINE

APRIL 2021

Local Moms Discuss Raising a Baby During a Pandemic HOW TO BE MINDFUL OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AS A FIRST-TIME MOTHER BIRD FEEDING BASICS 101

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INDIANAPOLIS SPORT AND SPINE 1460 North Green Street, #400 Brownsburg, IN 317-852-2005 indysportandspine.com

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of the spectrum,” Welsh says. “I love to teach people about health and wellness, and I value taking a proactive approach to their health. We don’t always have to be reactionary.”

Jason Welsh approaches his chiropractic business, Indianapolis Sport and Spine, just like he approaches life - he treats others how he would want to be treated.

In addition to chiropractic care, Welsh offers sports medicine treatment, decompression, “That’s been my overarching motto from the rehabilitation, therapy, soft-tissue work, and start,” Welsh says. “I regularly check in with a Class 4 high-energy laser, which acts to how I’m running my business, and whether speed up metabolism and increase healing my patients are getting better and happy rates. The laser is used to treat headaches, with our services. If I was on the other end, broken bones and everything in between. how would I want to be treated and my case Welsh also offers nutrition coaching, handled?” educating patients on smart health habits and high-quality supplementation.

Welsh opened the business, located in Brownsburg on the corner of North Green Welsh takes the listening part of his job very Street and East County Road 700 North, seriously. First-time patients will have an in October of 2009. Before that, he was in appointment during which they can share the Navy with the intention of pursuing a their history, issues, and anything pertinent career in health care. Over time, he became to their case. He treats during first visits as disenchanted with the pharmaceutical and often as he can. surgical industries, questioning the system and wanting to focus more on wellness and “If I’m in pain and hobbling, the last thing injury prevention.

I want to hear is that I need to come back “I realized there was a whole other side

three more times before I even get treated,” Welsh says. “We also have no problem referring people out if it is something we cannot treat. We can refer out for X-rays too if we think they’re necessary.”

Welsh grew up on a small farm in Illinois, as a very active youngster in sports and other activities. After his time in the Navy he got married and had four kids. His hobbies outside of the office include being outdoors and camping, exercising, and spending time with his family. He’s also very involved with 4M USA, an organization committed to getting men outside and inspired by adventure and nature, to be the best fathers and men they can be.

“We do a lot of backpacking, getting out in nature and away from our devices,” Welsh says. “Nature will fill you, even you out, and make you a better father and husband.”

Welsh understands many people may feel apprehensive coming in, and he takes the time to explain his techniques to patients.

“I make sure they understand the mild forms of adjustment, and the different drop tables,” Welsh says. “If anything makes you uncomfortable or freaks you out, I have more than one tool in my pocket. We can walk through that easily.”

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Hendricks County. Make it your home.

Life Happens.

Baby. New job. Toddlerdom. New puppy. Teenagers.

Graduations. Promotions. Empty Nesting.

Claire-Anne puts her heart into finding you your perfect home to house your memories.

Claire-Anne Aikman 317.345.6640 caikman@encoresothebysrealty.com encoresothebysrealty.com 8 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / APRIL 2021 / BrownsburgMagazine.com

Writer / Josh Duke Photography Provided

I’m all about doing plenty of research before I visit a new community. I make a list of must-sees, but I also try and add a few places off the beaten path.

In my time here at Visit Hendricks County overseeing our local blog that features all the latest happenings, I’ve compiled a list of places here in Hendricks County that many of our locals may not even know about, which I would highly recommend visiting.

HE R E A R E FIV E OF T HOSE PLAC E S:

OF F TH E BE ATEN PAT H E X P LO R E F I V E O F H E N D R I C K S C O U N T Y ’ S H I D D E N - G E M AT T R AC T I O N S

Burnett Woods Nature Preserve Where is it? 8264 East County Road 100 South in Avon Where can I park? Behind Light and Life Methodist Church​ Who would love it? Hikers, families, and those with a case of wildflower fever who want to get away from it all.

This 68-acre wooded nature preserve is the county’s only dedicated state nature preserve, and is managed by the Central Indiana Land Trust. This is a great place to take the kids on a hike and teach them about trees and wildflowers. It is preserved as an example of what was once common in this region, and what our ancestors encountered when they arrived in central Indiana.

Despite its location in the middle of bustling Avon with development popping up all around it, many residents aren’t even aware this little hidden oasis exists.

Hot Blown Glass Where is it? 3717 South County Road 200 East in Clayton Phone: 317-987-6862 Who would love it? Virtually anyone, as it is truly fascinating to find out how glass works of art are made.

Recently we featured Hot Blown Glass on our blog, as one of my colleagues here has made it an annual ritual to take her granddaughter there for a fun girls’ day

APRIL 2021

out. How many of you even knew we had an Indiana glass artist right here in Hendricks County?

Indiana Artisan Lisa Pelo owns the private studio, and the great thing about Pelo is that she doesn’t keep this precious attraction, or her glass talents, to herself. Visitors can participate in demonstrations, workshops and even classes to try the intricate art of glass work, by creating a simple piece like a paperweight or pumpkin on their own under Pelo’s direct guidance.

Guests usually come away floored by the experience, and the art they create without any previous experience.

Don't just show up on her doorstep, as appointments are required. Call the number above and talk to Pelo before making any plans.

Rusted Silo Southern BBQ & Brew House Where is it? 411 North State Street in Lizton Phone: 317-994-6145 Who would love it? Foodies, barbecue lovers, beer drinkers and virtually anyone who likes to eat - which means everyone.

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If you haven’t heard of or visited Rusted Silo yet, you are missing out on a true destination restaurant that draws people from all over the region, and has won many awards.

Like any great dive, Rusted Silo doesn’t look like much from the outside - it’s a small building nestled next to a railroad track in tiny Lizton. But what it lacks in first appearances, it more than makes up for in ambience and amazing food.

The eatery is owned by Rob Ecker, a former Disney chef, who moved into the county a few years ago with his family.

Having always wanted to start his own barbecue restaurant, he directed all of his savings into this new venture. We all should be glad he did.

The restaurant just recently reopened after a fire gutted much of the interior space last year, but Rusted Silo is a survivor. Make

APRIL 2021

sure you check out their Ferris Wheel of Meat and arrive with an empty stomach.

Avon Gardens Where is it? 6259 East County Road 91 North in Avon Phone: 317-272-6264 Who would love it? Gardeners, landscapers, dreamers and newlyweds.

Another true gem in our county, the gardens are hidden away in Avon and many residents may not know they exist.

What’s amazing about this tranquil hideaway, which has become a regional destination, is its background.

Not too long ago, many people driving by this piece of land may have considered it an eyesore, as it was a literal pigsty. Karen Robbins transformed the former 10-acre pig farm, beginning about 25 years ago, into a scenic inspiration, one plant at a time. It now serves as part garden center,

part inspirational gardens, and a fulltime event venue that hosts hundreds of weddings, receptions and group outings annually.

This attraction boasts flowing gardens, a beautiful pond and even a picturesque ravine. It even graced the pages of “Midwest Living” magazine a year or two ago as one of the top garden centers in the Midwest.

Vandalia Trail Where is it? The trail runs from Amo through Coatesville to the HendricksPutnam county line. There is a portion of the trail that also runs through Plainfield as part of the town’s trail system, but it is not connected to the trail that continues westward.

• Amo Trailhead: 5042 South Street in Amo • Coatesville Trailhead: 7963 Main Street in Coatesville

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Who would love it? Outdoor enthusiasts, hikers, horseback riders, walkers and families.

Embrace the outdoors by walking or biking the four-mile rail trail that runs along the route of the former Vandalia Railroad. An aggregate equestrian trail runs parallel to the pedestrian trail. Enjoy the scenery of rural Hendricks County and utilize the modern restrooms, water fountains and bicycle repair stations at each trailhead. *** This is a mere sampling of all the wonderful information we have for both residents and visitors at Visit Hendricks County. Sign up for our newsletter, subscribe to our insider blog , and check out more great content at VisitHendricksCounty.com.

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H OW TO B E M I N D F U L O F YO U R M E N TA L H E A LT H A S A F I R S T-T I M E M OT H E R While postpartum baby blues can last for up to two weeks after delivery, new moms may also experience a more severe and longlasting form of depression called postpartum Stepping into a new role as a first-time depression. Symptoms of postpartum mother can bring a range of emotions. Many depression may include excessive crying, women feel overwhelmed, depressed or difficulty bonding with your baby, severe anxious during their first pregnancy, and even mood swings, sleeping too much or too after delivery. Below are three tips for looking little, and lack of interest in activities you after your mental health, while also looking used to enjoy. It’s important to understand after your new bundle of joy. that experiencing postpartum baby blues or depression is not a weakness as a mother.

LEARN ABOUT Schedule an appointment with your doctor P O S T PA R T U M if you begin to experience symptoms of DEPRESSION. postpartum baby blues or depression.

There are many unknowns when it comes to being a first-time mother, including MAKE TIME FOR how pregnancy and childbirth will affect YO U R S E L F. your mental health. After childbirth, it is It’s nearly impossible to take care of someone common for most new moms to experience else if you aren’t taking care of yourself first. postpartum “baby blues.” Symptoms of Schedule time for activities you enjoy a postpartum baby blues may include mood few times per week. Whether it’s taking a swings, anxiety, crying spells and difficulty bubble bath, reading a book or watching your sleeping.

Writer / Dr. Danielle Beaver, Obstetrician at IU Health West Hospital Photography Provided

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favorite show, it’s important to take some time for yourself.

LOW E R YO U R E X P E C TAT I O N S A N D USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. As a new mom, you’ll experience unconditional love from your child. Your baby won’t notice if the house isn’t spotless or the laundry isn’t done. It’s important not to feel like everything must be perfect or that you have to do it all. Online shopping and delivery services can be a great resource.

Don’t be afraid to lean on friends and family for help.

While social media can be a great way for you to connect with other new moms, it can also be damaging to your mental health.

Motherhood, especially in the first few months, is messy, exhausting, difficult and not always pretty. Avoid the urge to compare yourself to other moms on social media.

AvonMagazine.com / APRIL 2021 / AVON MAGAZINE / 19

RUFF LYFE DOG TRAINING 7378 U.S. Highway 36 Coatesville, IN 765-721-0730 rufflyfedogtraining.com

Writer / Jamie Hergott Photography Provided

Ruff Lyfe Dog Training in Coatesville is a family-owned and -operated business that offers nearly any type of dog training, at any comfort level an owner could ask for.

Owner Megan Bonifacius was inspired years ago by her own challenging pets.

“They were horrible,” Bonifacius says. “They were great dogs in the house, but I couldn’t walk them. They’d pull my arm nearly out of its socket and leave leash burns. Seeking training for them inspired me to do it myself.”

She opened Ruff Lyfe Dog Training in Coatesville two years ago, and Ruff Lyfe Doggy Daycamp in Danville this past December.

Ruff Lyfe Dog Training offers in-home lessons, private or group lessons at the facility, and also a board-and-train option, where owners can drop off their dogs for two to six weeks at a time for training. Training is based on positive reinforcement and treats, as well as corrections on leashes and collars.

When owners come to pick up their dogs, they receive a lesson themselves on how to keep up with the training their dog received, and videos to take home. A follow-up lesson will take place, which involves a trainer visiting the owner’s home three weeks after their training to make sure the dogs are listening, and answer any follow-up questions.

There are three types of group classes beginner, advanced and traveling. Dogs who attend the latter class will be taken to various stores or hiking spots at parks for training in real-world situations.

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Ruff Lyfe Doggy Daycamp is a facility where dogs of all breeds are welcome.

Bonifacius says what makes her day camp different is the level of cleanliness and safety.

All employees are trained in dog body language.

Each dog has a 5’x5’ kennel with their own bed, water bowl, and peanut butter Kong toy. She says this way, dogs have their own space and don’t have to share a

community water bowl, swapping germs with other dogs. Even when the dogs are let loose in 15-minute play groups with other dogs, there are two attendants on duty at all times.

Other services available at the day camp location include various training options (private and in-home lessons, group classes, and day school), and nail trims on the first Saturday of every month.

“We have eyes on every single dog at all times,” Bonifacius says. “They all wear slip collars so we can easily grab them if we have to. It’s just safer overall for dogs and people.”

“We’ll never tell someone we won’t train their dog,” Bonifacius says. “I’ve had a lot of people cry and pour their heart out to me that we’re their dog’s last hope. We are dog trainers, but we end up helping people too.”

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IU HEALTH WEST ENHANCING CAPACITY AND SERVICES WITH VERTICAL EXPANSION PROJECT Writer / Berkley Rios Photography Provided

Since late 2017, team members at IU Health West Hospital have been working diligently to open the hospital’s $84 million vertical expansion project.

The new expansion includes an additional 48 inpatient beds, a catheterization lab, two operating rooms, an inpatient dialysis unit, a new space for inpatient pharmacy services, and new kitchen and classroom areas. The expansion also includes additional parking.

president of IU Health West Hospital. “Data we used to green-light the expansion showed we were having to transfer 1,700 patients a year who had come to IU Health West for their care to other facilities, because we could not get that patient a bed in a timely fashion. The demand for IU Health-level quality care was there. We had to grow to meet that demand.”

With the new additions, the hospital’s inpatient capacity has increased by “Our community is growing by more than 50%. The new 14leaps and bounds - Hendricks bed intensive care unit and catheterization lab opened in County continues to be the second fastest-growing county September, and are located on the new fourth floor. in the state, and our ability to provide care to all the patients who need us has in the past Not only did the hospital been challenged by our expand its walls, but also its capacity,” says Paul Ivkovich, services. The new four-bay

APRIL 2021

dialysis unit allows patients to receive their treatment within the hospital walls. Before being able to receive dialysis at IU Health West, patients had to be transferred to other facilities.

“The ability to provide inpatient dialysis is a game changer,” Ivkovich says. “Until now, any inpatient who also needed dialysis support during their stay had to be transferred downtown - most of whom are patients with diagnoses we absolutely could have managed otherwise at IU Health West. This addition allows those patients and families to stay closer to home for their care. IU Health West provides the community’s only 24/7 STEMI program, so the cath lab expansion enhances our ability to care for heart attack patients around the clock.”

APRIL 2021

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Joanna & Maggie

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Local Moms Discuss Raising a Baby During a Pandemic Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Ellen Joy Photography, Brittney Way Photography & Arrow of Light Photography

Over a century ago, Joanna Sproull’s great-grandparents lived through the 1918 pandemic. Her grandfather was 3 years old at the time, and now, 103 years later, Sproull and her husband Ben are living in the same Plainfield house, enduring a global pandemic themselves.

“When that bit of knowledge hit me, it gave me chills,” says Sproull, who was midway through her pregnancy in mid-March last year when COVID-19 became a reality. Almost immediately, routines began to change. For instance, she was told that her spouse could no longer accompany her to her doctor appointments.

“We felt lucky that we’d just had our 20-week ultrasound right before everything shut down so we got to experience that together,” Sproull says.

Sproull Family

Though she specifically asked her obstetrician if she needed to take any special precautions, it was difficult for physicians to know how to advise, given that the virus was so new. Mostly there was

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talk of flattening the case curve, so as not to overwhelm hospital systems and health care workers. As a result, Sproull began to wonder if she should consult with a childbirth center or look into giving birth at home. An added concern was the fact that she had undergone heart surgery two years prior. The couple had also experienced the heartbreak of miscarriage, so when COVID-19 hit, they felt like they had endured a triple whammy.

Thankfully, everything went smoothly when Maggie entered the world on June 25. Though the couple was overjoyed to welcome their daughter into their family, they admit that parenthood has not been what they imagined it would be. For starters, no one visits.

“She only met seven people in her first six months of life,” Sproull says.

Disappointments started prior to Maggie’s birth, however. The first came when they had to transition Sproull’s baby shower to make it a virtual event.

“Nobody got to see my growing belly,” Sproull says. “In fact, a lot of our neighbors have asked if we adopted because they never saw me pregnant.”

Despite this surreal time, the couple is over the moon with being Maggie’s mom and dad.

“She’s made our world so much better,” Sproull says. “There’s nothing better than this sweet little baby. I’d go through everything 10 million times over just to have her.”

When Brownsburg mom Kristal Hellmann gave birth to her second child, Bernadette, on January 31, 2020, she and her husband Eric were worried about catching the flu since they had a newborn baby and a 3-year-old asthmatic son.

“Little did we know that halfway through my maternity leave, a global pandemic was going to break out,” Hellmann says.

She admits that in a way, she was sheltered from COVID-19 because she was living under a fog of a newborn.

She vividly recalls the moment pandemic panic set in. It was the end of March in 2020, Bernadette was 2 months old, and it was that time in history when coronavirus coverage was plastered across televisions and computer screens every day.

“Late one night, Bernadette had just given me her first smile followed by a bunch of coos,” Hellmann says. “She made real eye contact with me - not like in the early days when the baby’s looking up and you’re wondering if they’re staring at you or the ceiling fan. It was a nice, peaceful moment.”

Then Hellmann made the mistake of picking up her smartphone.

“I found myself doom-scrolling the internet, reading about how this pandemic is going to last for one to two years - disrupted production cycles, grocery stores not having stock of inventory, and having to wear APRIL 2021

masks in public,” Hellmann says. “It suddenly hit me, ‘This isn’t going away.’ ” During the spring of 2020, as doctors, scientists and other medical experts tried to determine what was safe, ever-evolving protocols made planning difficult. Hellmann recalls stressing because for a brief stretch of time, day cares and pediatrician offices were trying to adjust from previous Indiana state standards to adapt to new COVID-19 rules. Navigating this new world was confusing, as day cares required a doctor’s note for relatively benign symptoms.

Meanwhile, pediatricians’ offices were closed as so many weren’t sure how to monitor health and symptoms.

“I felt like I was in this terrible cycle of, ‘My baby can’t get sick because we can’t go to the doctor, yet we can’t go to the doctor to prove my baby’s not sick,’ ” Hellmann says.

Then there was the worry of missing developmental milestones.

While normal milestones include mimicking a smile, facial expression or tone, that’s hard to do when everyone outside the home is wearing masks.

“When Bernadette first started playing peekaboo, it was not in the traditional way with covering the eyes,” Hellmann says. “As soon as she sees me at day care, she takes off my mask and smiles when she sees my face. If that’s not a pandemic baby in a nutshell, I don’t know what is.”

Like many of us, Joyce Martin, a labor and delivery nurse at IU Health West Hospital, struggled - especially in the earlier stages of the pandemic - with having to wear a mask all day at work.

“A smile on my face is comforting and calming, and a way to let my patients know I’m there to provide the best of care,” Martin says.

“It’s challenging to communicate with my patients while most of my face is covered. I’ve found eyes also smile, and my patients can hear comfort and calmness in my voice.”

During the pandemic, moms have been deprived of social clubs like breastfeeding support groups, mommy-and-me classes, and play dates, as well as outings with friends and family. Hellmann, who had an annual membership to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, had planned on spending much of her maternity leave in the facility’s Playscape area.

“There’s something magical about a 2020 baby,” Hellmann says.

“Watching them grow up, there’s that slight terror in the middle of the night when you think, ‘We just had a baby in this world - what are we going to do?’ But then that fades away and you’re left with that extra bit of hope.”

Avon mom Jaci McGrew gave birth to a daughter named Rosie in July of 2020. The child is McGrew and her husband PJ’s third. McGrew suffers from asthma, so she was terrified of contracting COVID-19 and having pregnancy complications as a result. Thankfully, the birth was smooth sailing. Right after delivery, however, scores of family and friends didn’t flood her hospital room to go gaga over the new bundle of joy, because hospital protocol prohibited it. According to Martin, most moms and dads have not minded this new policy of allowing only one guest into their room.

“New parents say they enjoy the one-on-one time to bond with their newborn baby,” Martin says. “They also feel they have more time for us [nurses] to teach them about newborn and postpartum care.”

Parents who have had babies prior to COVID-19 welcome the onevisitor rule as well because they don’t feel the pressure to entertain a parade of people.

“It’s giving them one-on-one time with their newborn, which

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“It has those windows where the sun shines in the morning, and that sand table,” she says. “I’d envisioned sitting on one of those nice, cushy benches with my sweet baby while watching my toddler Darwin live his best life at the museum.”

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Of course, that didn’t happen.

Though it’s been a wild year, these mommies have nothing but gratitude in their hearts.

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quickly changes when they get home with the other siblings,” Martin says.

After the McGrews got home, life continued to feel strange.

For starters, not going out and about in public has meant that Rosie has not been exposed to many people. As a result, McGrew feels Rosie has a heightened sense of stranger danger.

“With the older boys, we paraded them and passed them around constantly,” she says. “They got used to people quickly. Rosie hasn’t been able to be in those social situations because we rarely leave the house, and when she does see people out in public, they’re all wearing masks.”

interactions as well. McGrew feels particularly bad for grandparents and great-grandparents who have not been able to visit with their families for months.

McGrew wonders what that does to her daughter’s developing brain, to see masks in place of bright, smiling faces.

“I’m just thankful for her smile,” she says. “It makes up for not being able to see everyone else’s.”

It’s not just the smiles many of us are craving, but personal

“Not getting to know and see Rosie, they don’t have the same relationship with my daughter as they do with my older boys,” McGrew says.

Nevertheless, while much has changed, some things remain the same, like the unconditional love and excitement that siblings feel toward the newest little additions to their families. McGrew reports that her sons, Patrick, 10, and Frankie, 6, adore having a little sister.

“They’re so excited to see her when they come home from school,” McGrew says.

The feeling is mutual, as Rosie’s face lights up when she lays eyes on her big brothers.

“It’s been fun watching their own unique relationships with her,” McGrew says. “My 10-year-old is her protector, and my 6-year-old is her playmate. All Frankie wants to do is kiss Rosie.”

It may be a topsy-turvy world right now, with more ups and downs than we’d prefer, but these mommies are not complaining.

“Rosie is everything I didn’t know I needed,” McGrew says. “She completes our family.”

APRIL 2021

Cheri & Mike Freeman

PAT ’ S PA L S T H E R A P Y R A N C H A S S I S T S THOSE WITH DISABILITIES Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided by Amy Payne and Pat’s Pals

In 2013, Mike and Cheri Freeman received a phone call that would forever change the trajectory of their lives. Their 23-yearold son Patrick had been struck by a car and sustained a traumatic brain injury that left him requiring round-the-clock care. Since the accident occurred in California, the Freemans spent several years out west working with various rehabilitation centers, and found that their son responded positively to hippotherapy,

which involves the movement of a horse as a therapeutic treatment to improve coordination, balance and strength.

2019, they came across a piece of property in Plainfield and Mike got the idea to build their own nonprofit therapy clinic that Patrick and others in the community could use. The Freemans weren’t looking to make a profit - they simply had a passion to help the disabled. Plus, the pair knew all too well what it’s like to be thrown into the world of disability without a moment’s notice.

“You become isolated from everyone else because it’s a unique situation,” Cheri says.

“We wanted to create a place where the family can just enjoy being together.”

“Besides helping him physically, the mental In the summer of 2020, they opened and emotional benefits of being outside Pat’s Pals Therapy Ranch, formed a and around horses was evident,” Cheri board of directors and became a 501(c) says.

(3) nonprofit. Board Member Lesley Lautenschlager also serves on the board of After several years, the family moved back the American Hippotherapy Association home to Indiana. They wanted to continue (AHA) and has been a national trainer for hippotherapy as a treatment but couldn’t decades. find anywhere nearby that offered what Patrick had been getting. In November of

BrownsburgMagazine.com / APRIL 2021 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / 25

"IT’S GREAT TO HEAR HOW EXCITED PARENTS ARE WHEN THEY WITNESS WHAT THEIR CHILD CAN DO AFTER JUST A FEW WEEKS WITH A HORSE.” - CHERI FREEMAN “She’s the one who helped us get started with finding therapy horses and getting them trained,” Cheri says.

One of the buildings on the property is a therapy clinic, and sessions are conducted by skilled physical, occupational and speech therapists. Each one-hour session incorporates hippotherapy in some way, though the time spent on the horse may vary depending on the patient. Therapists also incorporate various tools and instruments into therapy such as exercise bikes and parallel bars. Pat’s Pals recently added an adult bionic exoskeleton that is used especially for brain and spinal cord injuries, and stroke recovery.

“That’s something we look forward to incorporating into therapy sessions, because to combine hippotherapy with bionic exoskeleton training can be a huge benefit,” Mike says. “In fact, there are only three in Indiana for outpatient use.”

Hippotherapy dials into the mechanics of the body. The movement of a horse’s pelvis is similar to the human pelvis, so it replicates what it’s like for a human to walk. That can help patients with their balance and sensory organization.

“You cannot design a machine to replicate the movement of a horse, so therapists carefully choose the horse to use with their patient, as some horses create more forward and backward movement while others create more side-to-side movement,” Mike says.

26 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / APRIL 2021 / BrownsburgMagazine.com

“I’ve seen a patient start facing forward, then change to facing sideways, then backwards, and then get up on hands and knees on the back of the horse.”

Each way of positioning the patient creates different reactions between the horse and the patient. Some patients need to strengthen their limbs while others need to strengthen their core. Throughout the entire process, an emotional bond is created between the horse and the patient.

“There’s something about that connection that’s fascinating to watch,” Cheri says. “It’s great to hear how excited parents are when they witness what their child can do after just a few weeks with a horse.”

Sometimes a child won’t respond to regular therapy but will respond when a horse is involved.

“One little boy literally jumps out of the car when he arrives and runs into his

“We want someone on either side of the patient when they are on the horse to ensure safety,” Cheri says. “This is crucial since our patients are fragile.”

therapy session,” Cheri says. “An autistic boy who volunteers with us went from being afraid of any animal larger than a guinea pig to now riding a horse. The first time it happened I asked him how he felt, and he said, ‘Severely happy!’”

The Pat’s Pals team relies heavily on volunteers who do everything from side walking to mucking stalls, grooming, cleaning hooves, painting fences, training, and exercising the horses. Though all volunteers must be at least 15 years old, they need not have prior horse experience.

Currently, Pat’s Pals employs five parttime therapists and three horses. Those numbers may change in the future depending on patient load. Though the Freemans are eager to provide this service to those in the community who will benefit, they want it to grow organically at a pace that’s comfortable and safe.

Pat’s Pals also works with a 2-year-old whose parents are thrilled with the response they have seen in just a couple of months.

“Since starting at Pat’s Pals, my daughter’s core is exponentially stronger, she sits up straighter, she finally holds onto handles, and she’s babbling, saying words she had not previously,” the 2-year-old’s mother says.

Every therapy session takes money.

Besides paying therapists, there is the cost of feeding and caring for the horses. Plus, each session must include a therapist, a horse handler, a walker and a volunteer to fetch necessary items.

“It seems to be a word-of-mouth kind of thing,” Cheri says. “When someone’s child benefits, they tell someone else.”

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Pat’s Pals offers a Financial Assistance Fund, to which people can contribute.

Every dollar in the fund goes specifically to help families who can’t afford a session on their own.

Strides to Success, also located in Plainfield, uses human-animal interaction to help kids and adults overcome trauma and learn valuable life skills. The two nonprofits nicely complement each other.

they heal when they go out to the farm, even if Patrick doesn’t get on a horse.

“He loves seeing the animals,” Cheri says.

“That’s what we want, for this to be a healing place.”

Pat’s Pals Therapy Ranch is located at 5422 East County Road 600 South in Plainfield.

For more information and to learn about how to become a volunteer, call 317-8365484, email info@patspals.org, or visit patspals.org.

“Theirs is an equine learning and equine behavioral therapy, while ours is hippotherapy, which is physical, occupational and speech therapy using the purposeful manipulation of equine movement as a tool in that,” Mike says.

“They are two different things that are both important.”

The ranch includes a barn and farm animals to create a serene atmosphere for patients and their families. Though it’s a clinic, the Freemans didn’t want it to feel like one.

“We know what that feels like to go into a sterile hospital environment,” Cheri says.

“We wanted this to be a relaxed place where people can walk around the pond, feed the ducks or pet the cats.”

This spring they plan to build a sensory garden full of various colors and textures for patients and their families to enjoy.

“It’ll be a place that will be both relaxing and stimulating,” says Cheri, noting that Duke Energy has committed to donating to the garden, and has also donated a heater so that Pat’s Pals can offer therapy sessions in the wintertime.

The Freemans are happy to do something that makes a difference in other people’s lives.

“We didn’t start out in the world of disability, and it takes quite a toll,” says Cheri, adding that she doesn’t have the energy to put into the ranch what Mike and the volunteers do, because caring for Patrick taps her out emotionally. Together 28 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / APRIL 2021 / BrownsburgMagazine.com

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Writer / Berl Meyer

The seed that attracts the widest variety of birds, and so the mainstay for most backyard bird feeders, is sunflower. Other varieties of seed can help attract different types of birds to round out your backyard visitors. In general, mixtures that contain red millet, oats and other “fillers” are not attractive to most birds and can lead to a lot of waste as the birds sort through the mix. Also, corn may be included in this list for it attracts unwanted birds like starlings and grackles.

By far the seed that attracts the most birds is sunflower seed. There are two kinds of sunflower — black oil and striped. The black sunflower seeds (“oilers”) have very thin shells, easy for virtually all seed-eating birds to crack open, and the kernels within have a high-fat content, extremely valuable for most winter birds. Striped sunflower seeds have a thicker shell, much harder for House Sparrows and blackbirds to crack open. So, if you’re inundated with species you’d rather not subsidize eating your black

oil sunflower, before you do anything else, try switching to striped sunflower.

Safflower has a thick shell, hard for some birds to crack open but is a favorite among cardinals. Some grosbeaks, chickadees, doves and native sparrows also eat it.

According to some sources, House Sparrows, European Starlings and squirrels don’t like safflower but in some areas seem to have developed a taste for it.

Cardinals and grosbeaks tend to prefer tray and hopper feeders, which makes these feeders a good choice for offering safflower.

No shells. No mess. 100 percent edible.

The No-Mess Blend is great near flower beds, patios and decks.

The No-Mess Blend bird seed features seeds that have had their shells removed so only the meat of the seed is left. No hulls on the seeds make for tidier feeding since there’s no debris on the ground to clean up.

Pound for pound, No-Mess Blend bird seed

offers the best value because you do not pay for uneaten seed waste. The birds eat everything.

The No-Mess Blend’s mix of sunflower chips hulled white millet and shelled peanuts appeals to birds that eat at the feeder or on the ground.

Jewels of the Garden, the Hummingbird During the summer months, everyone enjoys the sighting of hummingbirds.

It’s best to use a non-gravity feeder that looks like a flying saucer because bees, yellowjackets and wasps find it difficult to get to the nectar because the liquid does not come within the feeding port.

For centuries, gardeners have been fascinated with the beauty and aerobatics of hummingbirds. The key to attracting hummingbirds to your yard is to plant lots

30 / BROWNSBURG MAGAZINE / APRIL 2021 / BrownsburgMagazine.com

of flowers and provide the habitat that will give them shade, shelter, food and security.

Plants, including flowering shrubs, dwarf trees and vines, can all be used to create an ideal tiered habitat from ground level to 10 feet or more. Provide lots of space between plants to give hummingbirds enough room to hover and navigate from flower to flower.

Hummingbirds love water, especially if it’s moving. A gentle, continuous spray from a nozzle or a sprinkler hose is perfect for a bath on the fly.

Hummingbirds do not have a keen sense of smell and rely on bright colors to find their food.

They are particularly fond of red and are often observed investigating feeders with red parts, red plant labels, red thermometers and even red clothes on a gardener, I even had one hover around my red gas container.

Note: Do not use red dye in a hummingbird feeder, there is concern that it may harm the

birds. Instead, use plain, clear sugar water (one part white sugar mixed with four parts water). The hummers love it! If your feeder does not have red on it, attach a red label or other item to attract them.

Brightly-colored flowers that are tubular hold the most nectar and are particularly attractive to hummingbirds. These include perennials such as bee balms, columbines,

daylilies, and lupines. Biennials such as foxgloves and hollyhocks and many annuals, including cleomes, impatiens and petunias.

And lastly, hummingbirds do consume small beetles, true bugs, weevils, flies, gnats, mosquitoes, aphids, mites, leafhoppers, flying ants and parasitic wasps. Their favorite insect food source is the spider and harvestmen (daddy long legs).

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