My name is Kristy and my 9 year old daughter Kaylin is in the BHH program. When Kaylin was 4 she lost her grandpa in a motorcycle accident. She was very close to him - they were best friends. After that she latched on to my brother, her uncle, for a male figure in her life. Their personalities were so much alike. I remember my brother watching her play and asking, "Does she ever run out of energy?" They adored each other. Two years ago when Kaylin was 7 my brother committed suicide. It absolutely crushed her. The life just drained out of her. She became withdrawn, had nightmares, wouldn't make friends, and started having anxiety issues especially about death and loss.
Kaylin soon became too scared to let me leave her side, as well as her grandmother. She became mean and pushed everyone away from her. During one of her counseling sessions Kaylin's counselor recommended BHH. This fall will be two years in the program.
I have seen such a huge change in my little girl. The program has been such a big help in teaching her how to overcome loss, form healthy relationships, deal with her anger and acceptance. She also loves public speaking which was started by BHH at their annual fundraiser. She even stood up at my wedding and made a toast and speech to myself and her new dad, who she has also become very close to. Her dream when she grows up is to be president of BHH!
I am so thankful for this program and everything they have done to help my little girl overcome what has happened to her. Let's face it, even as adults we don't know how to handle death and suicide. Within a couple of years a very young child lost the 2 men she was closest to, so of course she wouldn't know how to handle it. BHH has taught her so much. She loves working with the horses and loves sharing her feelings with them. We will always be thankful.
