When you support our Scholarship Fund, you’re helping underwrite professionally facilitated programs that improve physical, intellectual and social wellbeing. Hear from Christopher’s mother, Barbara, on the life-changing therapy her son has found here at Quantum and donate to help other kids like Christopher!
Meet Christopher
Fourteen-year-old Christopher begins every Wednesday the same way—before he’s even out of bed, he announces, “Horseback riding! Charlie the horse! Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up!” It’s the kind of excitement every parent hopes to see in their child. For Christopher’s family, it represents something even more profound: confidence, strength, and the chance to experience therapy in a way that feels more like joy than work.
Christopher was born with Down syndrome. At age four, doctors discovered a spinal cord injury that required major surgery and left him with significant spasticity in his legs. Unlike most children with Down syndrome, who are typically low tone, Christopher lives with dual tone—tight, spastic legs paired with low tone elsewhere. His mom, Barbara, explains that although traditional therapies helped, they were repetitive and emotionally draining for him.
“When we come to Quantum Leap Farm, it’s different,” she shared. “He never says ‘I’m going to therapy.’ He says, ‘I’m going to ride Charlie.’ It’s incredible.”
When Christopher first arrived at Quantum Leap, he clung tightly to the saddle—nervous, skeptical, and unsure he could trust such a large animal beneath him. His dad, Danny, remembers watching him with a protective mix of fear and pride. But week after week, everything began to change. Today, Christopher sits tall and balanced in the saddle, waving with one hand as he rides past. He has gained remarkable core strength, improved posture, and physical mobility that traditional therapy alone simply couldn’t offer. More than that, he has found independence, courage, and a deep sense of pride in what he can do.
“It’s a complete transformation,” Barbara said. “He has confidence now. He walks out to the mounting platform like he owns it.” Quantum Leap has become a second home for their family. A place of peace, trust, encouragement, and genuine connection. “There’s a calmness here the moment you step on the property,” Barbara shared. “The volunteers and therapists give Christopher something I can’t give him. This place gives me peace, too.”
Families like Christopher’s are the heartbeat of Quantum Leap Farm. They come here seeking hope, healing, progress, and belonging—and they find all of it because donors like you make it possible. More than 95% of Quantum Leap Farm’s income comes from the generosity of our donor community. Your support ensures that children like Christopher continue to experience therapy that strengthens their bodies, lifts their spirits, and fills their lives with possibility. This holiday season, we hope you will consider making a gift to Quantum Leap Farm. Your generosity helps create life-changing experiences—for Christopher and for so many others who depend on the healing power of our horses. From all of us at Quantum Leap Farm, thank you for being part of our family. Your support truly transforms lives.
When you choose to give to our Scholarship Fund you AND a scholarship recipient will receive
a Quantum Leap Farm – 2026 Calendar.
For more information about giving to Quantum, please contact our Executive Director: Emily Westfall | Emily@QuantumLeapFarm.org | 813-920-9250 ext. 206
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