I just read this story and want to encourage all of us to donate to Maggie's surgery.

Flying Change is a 501©3 non-profit in Atlanta that uses horses in psychotherapy with children in crisis. We have a program called HopeFoal of Georgia that pairs rescued foals (baby horses) with teenagers in therapy. The teens we serve come from very troubled backgrounds – most have suffered abuse, abandonment, violence and neglect. The teens learn to nurture, protect and parent the foals as part of their own therapy.

I am writing on behalf of one of our HopeFoals – Maggie. We rescued Maggie from slaughter when she was five months old. Like our other HopeFoals, we brought her down from Canada just after she had been weaned from her mother. She had never been handled by people and wouldn’t let anyone within ten feet of her without running away. You could see the fear in her eyes. Over the course of the next few months, our therapy kids and volunteers developed a relationship with Maggie, slowly gentling her, and teaching her to be fed, petted and handled. I wish that you could see what happens between our kids and their foals. They both start out so hurt, afraid and distrustful. With time, patience and understanding they begin to build a bond. For many of the kids, it is the first loving relationship they’ve had. Little by little, the kids and their foals become stronger, healthier, and more resilient. Maggie is a little over a year old now, and she and the kids that have healed in therapy with her are part of this miracle.

Over the weekend, Maggie broke her leg. It is a very serious injury and needs surgery. If we do not give her the surgery she needs, she will die. The surgery is expensive and we need help in the form of donations and publicity. This is more than a chance to save Maggie’s life - it is an opportunity to teach our therapy kids about commitment and real love. For these children who have had so much loss and seen so much darkness already, this is an opportunity to show them the value of loyalty to those we love and the strength of human kindness in the world.

Here’s how you can help.

MAKE A GIFT. All donations are tax-deductible. Support can come in the form of individual donations, foundation grants, or corporate sponsorships. Donations can be made via PayPal to the email address hopefoal@mindspring.com or checks written to Flying Change can be mailed to 4470 Seminole Dr. Acworth, GA, 30101.

PASS IT ON. If we care enough to forward this letter to everyone we know and make whatever personal contribution we each can, we can give Maggie the chance that she deserves.

Maggie has given so much to our kids. She has had a life-changing impact on the children who love her. She is not just a horse to us. She is family, and in our hearts Maggie is irreplaceable. She’s not a big horse, but in spirit she has the heart of a lion. Maggie is not afraid of a fight and it is not in our hearts not to try. She faces a challenge in recovering from this injury, but we know her. We know her heart, and our money is on Maggie. Please join us in giving her all the support we can to heal.

You can find additional information about HopeFoal and ways to help at our website, www.flyingchange.org or email me personally at seelisgo@yahoo.com.