Leg Up Farm doesn’t feel like a medical facility. And that’s the whole point.
You won’t find any outdated waiting areas, antiseptic offices or endless hospital corridors here. Instead, there’s a barrier-free playground, colorful classrooms, a giant koi pond, rolling horse pastures and an on-site barn. In short, the cutting-edge pediatric therapy center is a dream-come-true for children with special needs.
“Kids don’t think they’re coming here for therapy,” explains Jennifer Hitz, chief development officer at the Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania facility. “This is where they come to play.”
In 1997, Leg Up Farm founders Louie and Laurie Castriota dreamed of creating a therapeutic riding center. Ironically, not long after, they learned their daughter Brooke had mitochondrial disease, a genetic disorder that causes cognitive and physical impairments.
Faced with the challenge…
