Toddler with Cerebral Palsy Reaches Huge Milestone

Kiley Griggs, a 3-year-old with cerebral palsy, is learning to ride a horse.

Kiley, who is on the verge of turning 4 this month, lives in the New Port Richey area with her mother, Lori, who teaches at Rushe Midde School, and father Jason “Jay” Griggs, a Dunedin firefighter.

She is enrolled in equine therapy at Kiddy Up Farms, a New Port Richey area business that provides equine therapy to children with disabilities.

On Wednesday, Kiley’s mother let folks on the Kiley's Progress Facebook page know about a big step Kiley has taken in therapy.

Here's what she had to say:

HUGE milestone! Kiley rode, for a few seconds, ALL BY HERSELF!!!!! Lots of tears from this one. 

She posted video of the occasion on the Facebook page.

Kiley’s parents dream of the Kiley being able to walk on her own some day. She can’t now. Even sitting up is a problem.

Her parents have pinned their hopes on another therapy that they think can  help her along the path to reaching the goal of walking. it's an intensive treatement called TheraSuit Therapy, which helps increase muscle strength, flexibilty, coordination and range of motion.

Kiley has completed two 15-day regimens of intensive TheraSuit Therapy and is scheduled for more.

The Griggs have funded TheraSuit Therapy, which isn't covered by their insurance, with money they won after taking home the grand prize in the National Upromise Dream Wall sweepstakes a year ago. They also won money from Disney’s I Heart My Family Contest to help with funding the therapy.

They also are using money from a fundraiser from earlier this year to help fund the therapy

Find out more about Kiley's path toward walking:

• Therapy Puts Cerebral Palsy Child on the Path to Walking
• Your Mothers Day Gift Can Help a Child with Cerebral Palsy
• Dunedin Firefighter's Daughter Takes Step Toward Therapy

You can also learn more about Kiddy Up, which opened this year.

• Kiddy Up Teaches Kids with Disabilities to Ride Horses