April is the month to celebrate military children and today we are going to highlight Ana Bruck.
Ana started volunteering for us in 2020, never having any horse experience. Over the last 4 years it has been my absolute honor to watch this dynamic young lady develop into who she is today. She and 4 of her brothers and sisters were 5 of the very first group of kids going through our 18 week Social Emotional Equine Assited Learning (SEEAL) program. Through this program she and the others were given an opportunity to experience what emotions look like, while asking the horses to be in like situations. Then, surrounded by critical staff members educating the kids on HOW to regulate those emotions, through the use of tools and exercises.
After Ana completed this program she not only continued to volunteer on Mondays, she has been a volunteer in every kids group since.
Ana’s father is a 31 year combat Army Veteran, who served 4 combat tours. Through Ana’s experiences of being around horses, learning to care for them and witnessing first hand how they can impact someone’s life significantly, Ana is a published author. She wrote and illustrated her very first book that is used in military trauma presentations around the globe. By the way, Ana has accomplished all of this and she is only 16.
Hope on Four Hooves is a true story of a military family’s journey through the struggles of PTSD.
Being part of Little Blessings has provided a safe space for her to grow, serve, and express who she is and the emotions she carries.