We had the privilege of hosting Maria Balajadia, her spouse Pfc. Balajadia of 58th CEC, 1/11 ACR, along with their son Cayleb Isaiah March 1 at the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Horse Detachment.
Cayleb is their 3.5 year-old child who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder about a year ago. Maria reached out to us this past weekend after Cayleb met some of the horses at the Blackhorse Sports Day during the power outage.
The power outage disrupted his routines, he was incredibly upset, and his parents decided to get him out of the house.
In Maria’s words, “As soon as we saw the horses, Cayleb had this calm behavior I can’t describe. It was something I have never experienced or seen in him. To me, Cayleb seeing all the horses and mules was a mini equine therapy … It’s amazing to see the vibe and genuine interaction between him and the horses. I think they all formed a little bond … No words can describe how thankful I am for the hospitality and knowledge that the Horse Detachment has given my family.”
So Maria worked with us to schedule a time for Cayleb to come feed and pet the horses, and after our training, they came in to meet the rest of the stables. It was a heartwarming experience for all of us here, Cayleb and his family had a great time, and they are already planning their next trip out to the Stables!