Rescued horses find home with young girl facing illness
HAYWOOD COUNTY, Tenn. — Two furry friends are going home for the holidays. For one young lady, it’s a Christmas surprise she’ll never forget.
In the midst of hospital visits and uncertainty, a pair of horses have become a source of hope for one West Tennessee family, just in time for Christmas.
This summer, Home Safe Horses Sanctuary rescued Luke and Rose, two horses found abandoned and in critical condition.
“They were all, basically, a body score of one,” said Kristina Rupp, co-founder of Home Safe Horses. “Completely emaciated, starved, and the puddle that they called was their water was nothing. It was just dirt.”
After months of care, rehabilitation, and training, Luke and Rose made a remarkable recovery and with it, a second chance.
For the first time in the sanctuary’s history, that second chance included a foster-to-adopt opportunity.
“So, to kind of have the Lord open our doors to something different where we can bless other children and families with that opportunity we’ve been able to have, it was, you know, it was really different,” said Alia Rupp. “Just knowing that we can change someone’s life just with something so simple.”
The decision came after a family who had been attending sessions shared their story. As one of their daughters faces a rare, non-treatable chronic illness, the diagnosis has been extraordinarily difficult on the entire family, especially her younger sister.
“Behind the scenes, her sister is dealing with something that they don’t really know what it is,” Alisa said. “They’ve come to the conclusion it might be Pott’s disease.”
For the younger sister, horses became a safe place. And through an incredible Christmas surprise, she now has two of her own.
“It was a perfect fit,” Kristina said. “He, Luke, is now is literally a light on top of a hill, a pillar, so that all can see him.”
Luke and Rose now live on 50 acres and are surrounded by family and love. This Christmas, two rescued horses and one little girl found exactly what they needed.
For more information on Home Safe Horses, visit the website or Facebook page.
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