Meet 13-year-old Morgan!
Morgan is a happy, cheeky little boy. He is full of mischief and is forever playing tricks on Mum and Dad. Whether it’s an item or himself, his parents are always looking for hidden things around the house!
Morgan loves music and dances along to an eclectic mixture of genres. Most days in Morgan’s household begin with an appropriately titled ‘Morgan Rave’. He is a sporty young man who attends Pan-Disability football weekly and enjoys playing ball with his five dogs!
Morgan is diagnosed with Down’s syndrome, which is a condition where you are born with an extra chromosome. “Having a child with SEN (special educational needs) can mean that normal family outings can often leave everyone – especially Morgan – feeling quite stressed. Things which you would expect a young person to find fun end up terrifying them or they just find the crowds and noise way too much.” said Morgan’s mum Amanda.
Morgan’s VIP Experience
On Saturday 3rd July, Morgan and Amanda were invited to Jonjo O’Neill’s training facility in Cheltenham for an equestrian experience day which was kindly donated by The Jockey Club and Cheltenham RDA.
Upon arriving at the training facility, Morgan and his mum were greeted by Barrie Wells Trust Events Coordinator, Alex, who was on hand to ensure all the Box4Kids guests had the best experience day possible!
Morgan’s favourite part of the day was watching the horses swim around the equine swimming pool, where he learnt it is the way to build stamina and improve endurance. At first, Morgan was worried about the horses – “the water must have been very cold as the horse seemed to be grimacing, although he happily got back in so it must have been fun too!”. After this, Morgan tried his hand at feeding some of the other resident horses and was given the opportunity to give them some carrots to snack on. He even succeeded in keeping his fingers flat to avoid them being mistaken for carrots and munched on.
Following a quick pit-stop for lunch, Morgan made his way to Cheltenham RDA with our other young guests for an RDA riding session. Before mounting the horse, Morgan was very nervous and apprehensive. But when he got on, he realised just how fun it was and had an amazing time trotting around. This was his very first time in the saddle, but he did such a great job, and was so pleased with himself for stepping outside of his comfort zone.
“Barrie Wells and the wonderful generosity of the people donating their boxes and offering really unique experiences really do make a difference to our children. They give them the opportunity to experience fabulous events in a way they feel safe and can enjoy themselves – meaning their parents can too!” said Amanda.
If you are a box owner and have any events where your box is not being used, then please do get in touch so that we can continue to make such special days for deserving children like Morgan.
