Linda Lael Miller - More Than Words: Volume 4

Dear Reader,

At Harlequin we are proud of our long tradition of supporting causes that are of concern to women. The Harlequin More Than Words program, our primary philanthropic initiative, is dedicated to celebrating and rewarding ordinary women who make extraordinary contributions to their community. Each year we ask our readers to submit nominations for the Harlequin More Than Words award, from which we select five very deserving recipients.

We are pleased to present our five 2008 award recipients to you in this, our annual More Than Words anthology. These real-life heroines provide great comfort to those they help. And we hope that by sharing their stories with you, we will give you comfort in knowing that these women are working so hard for those who need it most. With the help of some of our most acclaimed authorsLinda Lael Miller, Sherryl Woods, Curtiss Ann Matlock, Jennifer Archer and Kathleen OBrienwe are pleased to publish these five inspiring stories. These authors have donated their time and creativity to this project, and all proceeds will be reinvested in the Harlequin More Than Words program, further supporting causes that are of concern to women.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as we enjoy publishing it! The women highlighted in these pages, and the fictional novellas penned by our authors, are truly inspirational.

Please visit www.HarlequinMoreThanWords.com for more information, or to submit a nomination for next years book.

Sincerely,

Donna Hayes
Publisher and CEO
Harlequin Enterprises

VOLUME 4

LINDA LAEL MILLER

The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty historical and contemporary novels that reflect her love of the West. Raised in Northport, Washington, the self-confessed barn goddess now lives in Spokane, Washington. Her most recent New York Times bestsellers include McKettricks Luck, McKettricks Pride, McKettricks Heart and The Man from Stone Creek. Dedicated to helping others, Linda personally finances her Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women, awarded annually to women seeking to improve their lot in life through education. More information about Linda, her novels and her scholarships is available at www.lindalaelmiller.com. She also loves to hear from readers by mail at P.O.Box 19461, Spokane, WA 99219.

Parents faced with the challenge of caring for a child with a physical, cognitive, social or emotional disability such as Down syndrome or autism know all too well the engulfing feelings of helplessness and inadequacy that often threaten family life. Without help and support, the task they face can be frustrating and overwhelmingly lonely.

For forty-seven yearsmore than half her lifeJeanne Greenberg has worked to turn a burden into a blessing, giving both help and hope to families who, in her words, have been blessed with special-needs children.

When her daughter Sari was born with Down syndrome in 1959, there were few facilities for so-called handicapped children, and Jeanne was advised to put Sari into foster care. Five agonizing months later, Jeanne, who had four other children at home, got her back. When Sari was three, Jeanne established a nursery school in her southwestern Ontario community to help Sari integrate with other children with special needs. She also began visiting and counseling parents in hospital following the birth of a child with Down syndrome.

The Greenberg family lost their beloved Sari when she was only fifteen, but even in her sorrow, Jeanne already knew that the rest of her own life would be devoted to helping families like hers. Jeanne, her husband and their four other children wanted a special way to honor Sari. It took a few years to give shape and substance to that desire, but in 1978 the nonprofit organization SARI (Special Ability Riding Institute, now known as SARI Therapeutic Riding) was set up in Saris memory. The idea for it had come from Saris enjoyment of riding lessons with one of her siblings on the farm where the family was then living. The donation of the five-acre farm to make the land and buildings available for the riding program was an important step in putting the dream into action.

They started with the two horses their children had used; today, the barn houses up to thirteen. In 1980 an indoor heated arena was built with community and government lottery support, providing needed office and classroom space and a lounge/viewing area for parents and visitors. Classes, formerly held in the barn and outside, could now be held year-round.

The program consists of three sessions per yeareach accommodating seventy children, some with Down syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy, others with disabilities or hearing or sight impairmentand a summer camp that siblings can also attend, giving them the opportunity not only to participate, but to witness and experience firsthand their siblings accomplishments. In addition to riding lessons, there are opportunities to groom horses or help with tack.

Classeslimited to four ridersare held every afternoon and evening and all day Saturday. Stretching exercises are part of the therapyreaching toward a horses ears, for example. One mother of a nine-year-old Down syndrome child says just learning to hold the reins was a big challenge for her daughter. She couldnt do that at first. Now she steers, trots, and posts. She has made gains socially and emotionally, too. Its such a happy place.

Learning letters of the alphabet is often an integral part of the exercise, as well as picture and color recognition (Stop your horse at red). An army of volunteers assistsome 150 each week. Usually three people are needed just to help a single child, one leading the horse and the other two walking on each side.

Instruction is adapted to meet individual needs. Jeanne supported an educator, and past executive director, in developing the Achievement Rainbow Program (now distributed to therapeutic riding stables all over the world), a curriculum that allows the children to have fun learning while achieving therapeutic goals associated with the rainbow colors.

SARI would be a remarkable accomplishment by any measure, but Jeanne, now 84, remains a dedicated board member and a fund-raiser who works tirelessly to help raise the nearly $300,000 a year that it costs to operate SARI Therapeutic Riding. Four major fund-raising events are held each year, including a night at the theater in March (Jeanne invariably has all the tickets sold by Christmas, says SARIs executive director), and the popular Bowling for Ponies event. Through Jeannes extensive contacts, support comes from corporations, associations and community clubs, as well as individuals. When I phone someone now, sometimes they dont even say hello, just What can I do for you? she laughs.

Clearly, an enterprise on this scale involves crucial health and safety issues. In the eighties, Jeanne helped form two associate bodies: the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA), responsible for insurance matters and a certification program for instructors, and the Ontario Therapeutic Riding Association (OnTRA), which provides networking, community education and fund-raising support for SARI and other therapeutic-riding facilities in Ontario.

Jeanne is now so deeply involved with SARI that she cant imagine life without it. I guess Ill have to turn over the reins at some point, she says, but its not easy. Then she adds, in classic understatement, Not that others couldnt do it, but perhaps they dont have my drive! Indeed. The mere contemplation of her activities and energy would floor most people half her age. And shes not done yet. She looks forward to SARIs thirtieth-anniversary celebrations in June 2008, by which time, she reveals, the barn is to come down and the arena extended. She is already engaged in a campaign to raise the million dollars these plans will cost.