Survivors

Every now and then, a truly amazing experience ventures in; and because of it we are forever changed. Such an event happened recently at the rescue when Max ca...
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Every now and then, a truly amazing experience ventures in; and because of it we are forever changed. Such an event happened recently at the rescue when Max came for a visit ...
Max is an intelligent, gregarious man with a heart-rending tale.
He was born in a prison in India where his mother was was incarcerated at the time. She lived only a few short years afterwards, and once she passed on, Max was ushered onto the streets to fend for himself, despite birth defects which left him blind & unable to walk. He eked out his survival in whatever ways he could manage until discovered and taken in to an orphanage by none other than Mother Theresa! Max was adopted and moved to Canada some time afterwards, but after a few years his adoptive family found they could no longer commit to the level of care needed for him. Without a moment's hesitation, his respite caregiver, Eddie & his wife, took Max into their own home, where he has remained for 28 years.
Max is estimated to be in his forties, and developed a love for horses at the first chance he had to meet one several years ago. When Eddie asked one of our volunteers, Marek Malewicz, if Max could join us at the rescue, we were only too happy to oblige!
The horse in the image with Max is Ellie Mae; an elderly mare of unknown origin for whom we were the last option. Ellie came to us bearing a crushing load of emotional trauma which manifested in a host of physical issues, some of which we are still working to help her deal with. Not surprisingly, Ellie recognized a fellow survivor in Max, and came directly to him. She sniffed and nuzzled, as if greeting an old friend, then both settled into a peaceful exchange on some level perceptible only to themselves.
This is why we do what we do ...
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