Oh my stars!

Oh, thank you so much!

Alright, have fun!

Hehe, I reach you!

Oh, there's my baby.

We know it has to do with her autism.

He was diagnosed with about 20 weeks in utero, with down syndrome.

Ready?

1, 2, 3!

Up, up and over!

Good job.

Watching her go from scared to touch everything to now we touch everything, (laughs) and we're not worried at all, you know, it's just a whole different child.

A nice chew toy or food!

You're such a sweet boy, yes, you are.

Yes, you are.

Where's mom?

Where's mom?

(gasps) You see her?

Can you sit up tall like this?

Oh, look at that!

[Assistant] Oh, good job, Levi.

All right!

whenever you're ready.

Walk on, Pegasus.

[Nicole] There you go.

You got this.

You know what you're doing.

You got this.

[Michael] Funding for this program comes from the Caring Foundation by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama with additional support from the Robert R. Meyer Foundation and HoarConstruction.

They're not the rich and famous.

Their profit comes not from the thing they sell, but the good they do.

Our nation has more than 1.5 million nonprofits that employ one out of 10 Americans, providing services that otherwise go unfulfilled, keeping our community connected when all else fails.

But nonprofits often lack the tools to properly promote themselves, to inspire more donors and volunteers and clients to their cause.

That's where I come in.

I've been in the nonprofit world for nearly 20 years.

I connect nonprofits with marketing professionals who donate their time and expertise so that, at the end of the day, these life-giving organizations can do more, do better by creating more that's right.

"Buzz".

There's no bigger "Buzz", at least in Springville, Alabama, than my cousin Beth Walker.

She and her husband, Scott, own the community coffee house, Nichols Nook, named in memory of her parents, my wonderful Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Kay, and our grandparents, Chris and Naomi Nichols, Naomi and Papa to us.

So when I started getting messages from a Springville nonprofit called Canoe Creek Stables, I reached out to Beth.

She assured me that the founders, Nicole and Jake Tucker, were indeed worthy of "Buzz".

The Tuckers provide help and hope through horses for people of all ages and disabilities.

But just like the origin story of so many nonprofits, Canoe Creek Stables was born out of tragedy at a time when Nicole and Jake were the ones who needed the help.

My name is Nicole Tucker.

I am the owner of Canoe Creek Stables and the founder of the nonprofit, Light of the World Adaptive Horsemanship.

So I had a younger brother named Kyle.

He was nine years younger than me.

He had cystic fibrosis, so I had a front row seat to his battle with his disease, and about a month before he passed away, I promised him that we'd find a way to help people, and horses have always been part of my life, they've always helped me get through some challenges, you know, in school and different things, relationships, so they've always been a very big part of my life, so I knew I wanted to use horses to help other people.

And my husband shared the same dream, so we decided to build a big barn and start a nonprofit.

So here we are.

[Michael] Tell me about Kyle.

Crap.

Sorry.

(soft emotional string music plays) Sorry, snakey.

(sniffles) I'm so sorry.

(chuckles softly) Kyle passed away six years ago.

It still feels fresh sometimes.

(sighs) We were nine years apart, so I grew up watching him battle cystic fibrosis.

He spent most of his life in hospitals, and I'm not really sure where we transitioned from just being siblings to best friends, but I would say probably the last 10 years of his life, we were best friends too, so when I lost him, I lost my brother and my friend, so... sorry.

So right before, he knew he was dying.

And right before he passed away, we had a conversation, and he looked me right in the face and he said, "When I die, I don't want you to be sad."

And he's like, "You have to promise me," and I said, "That's ridiculous.

I can't promise you that," I said, "But I promise I'll find a way to heal," and I said, "We'll find a way to help other people," and that's exactly what we've done.

And it's taken a lot of time.

This is like our personal Goliath.

Just, I was an airline pilot.

I mean, it was a totally different life back then, but my husband shared the same dream because he lost a brother also a year before my brother passed away, so he has his own reasoning behind doing this as well.

So it took a couple more years than we wanted, but we finally took the leap of faith.

We started building the barn in 2023, and opened in 2024, and I started going through the process of becoming a certified therapeutic riding instructor.

And then we started the nonprofit, so it has been a lot to tackle at one time.

I'm a mom, I'm married, I have a normal life, like every other busy woman, and then to tackle this on top of it has been quite a challenge.

But it's very fulfilling.

(soft inspirational piano playing) So we are Light of the World Adaptive Horsemanship.

We are a 501(c)(3), and our mission is to help others heal and grow while enjoying one of God's greatest gifts, horses.

We have all different ages here, and all different abilities, different circumstances, people going through grief, or maybe a physical disability, or a learning disability such as autism, ADHD, anxiety, down syndrome, spina bifida.

I mean, we have a whole broad scope of different individuals that we work with, so.

You don't have to look very far to find people that can use the help.

[Michael] Nicole and Jake want more people to know about Light of the World Adaptive Horsemanship and more foundations and donors to fund their mission, which means a more professional looking website to inspire more people to their cause.

So I reached out to Tiara Lavender, a Birmingham-based website Design Pro in hopes she could help them achieve more "Buzz".

We should probably create like, a Google Drive link so that we can upload like, all the content, you know, both typed and media to like, one shared folder so we can access it any time.

Okay.

I think that would probably be the simplest way.

Or I could start one and then just email you all the link.

That would be great.

(chuckles) Thank you.

Look, I'm taking notes and then I'm like, crossing it out.

Like, nope, she's gonna make that easy.

Thank you so much.

(chuckles) I just wanna help people.

Look, if you could just help me help people, and help us find a way to reach more people, that's really the whole point of the website.

We're not here for very long, and we wanna do as much as we can while we're here, so yeah.

Make the magic happen.

(chuckles) [Tiara] Okay.

[Michael] So while Tiara took the reins to make some website magic, I trotted back over to Canoe Creek Stables to meet the folks being helped by Light of the World Adaptive Horsemanship People like Allison Carroll, whose daughter, Della Grace, is autistic, and Deidra Adams, whose son, Levi, has Down syndrome.

She went through a time where she, like, quit being verbal.

And a lot of it was due to developing, like, an OCD with her autism, but she just went through a time where it's like she just didn't know how to express herself, and she was worried about germs, touching things.

She didn't wanna use her hands.

I was told that he would probably never walk, that he would probably never talk, and that was only if he survived outside the womb.

-[Michael] Wow.

-[Deidre] Yeah.

[Michael] Was there a conversation -about another option besides- -[Deidre] Yes.

going to term?

Yeah, there were two times that the doctor said... She repeated that.

The worst case scenario, and both times she gave me the option of termination.

And I mean, immediately, because of my faith and because of knowing that it's God who gives life and takes it away, I said, "That's not my choice to make."

So we knew that Levi was gonna be whoever God intended him to be, and we were just in for a journey.

He was gonna write his own story.

I remember my older son had a practice one day, and we went to this lady's house that she had horses.

She went up to the fence, and she was just like, so engaged with them and just, and so I just thought, "Well, maybe there's something to this for her," and then, from that point, she just talked about 'em a lot.

And when I saw her walk in and like, I think it was Nicole, maybe let her feed a baby sheep or something like that.

I have a picture of it.

And I watched how she just grabbed that bottle up without even like wondering if something was wrong with it or, you know, and immediately touched it.

I was like, "Okay, she needs to be here."

[Michael] There's something there.

[Allison] And then it just kind of went from there.

So he didn't walk until he was five.

So that's, you know, most kids, around 18 months to two years, some much earlier.

Kids with Down syndrome, it could be two to three years, or they could walk typical timing, but he walked on his own when he was five.

So I think that was the hardest for me to overcome, because that was the first thing the doctor told me, "He'll probably never walk," and so I was like, "Oh no," and I had a dream before he was born, about him walking, and so, I just rested in that like, "No, no, I believe he is gonna walk."

[Michael] To help pay for Canoe Creek's therapeutic riding program for Levi, Deidre received a grant from Down Syndrome Alabama, a nonprofit that starred in an earlier episode of "Buzz".

And so, he's had balance issues.

Even though he's walking, his core, you know, is not as strong, and so, being on a horse, and that's what they're working on, is reaching and keeping that balance, not sliding to one side or the other, and I can just see, when he gets off, he is so confident in himself, he just takes off.

But I know, it's helping his core, it's helping his physically, and then his confidence.

Like, he just lights up on that horse.

So I know it's helping him in ways that I don't even think we know yet.

All right.

Show me how to sit up tall!

Alright, that looks good.

You ready?

Alright.

What do you say?

Let's go!

-(Levi vocalizes) -There you go.

I mean, she gets excited when she comes here.

when she knows that it's... She wakes up in the morning.

She said, "This is a big day."

She always calls it a big day when she comes here, so she, you know, she loves to just come and ride, play with all the animals.

She always wants to see every animal before she leaves.

Not just the horses, she wants to see the goats, the lambs, the bunnies.

She loves the bunnies, the dogs, anything, you know?

So she just loves this place.

Yeah.

We tried other little things, but here is where she feels it's like her safe space.

This place has been a blessing for her, and for me, and for our family, because she's happy, we're happy, you know?

Just seeing that she has found something that she loves... Maybe that that wasn't always the case.

Well, yeah.

I mean, she just, you know, you could just tell she needed something more than what we were getting at home, you know?

She needed something outside.

I just think God created horses very special.

They have a sixth sense.

I think they, all of Nicole and Jake's horses, when Levi comes around them, they're so calm.

They just stand there and let him do (chuckles) whatever he wants to do within reason, but I think that God created and put something in them to be so tender towards kids, especially with disabilities, and they can reach him in ways that we can't, that maybe a human can't.

You stay up late last night?

They say that God, he only gives children with special needs to special parents, and so, I try to remember that (chuckles) and take that to note and say, "Okay.

She's with me for a reason."

The love that this place shows for all people.

You can just be yourself when you're here, you know?

Yeah.

Without Canoe Creek Stables and their Adaptive Horsemanship program, I think I would still be looking for something to benefit Levi.

I wouldn't probably know what it was that I was looking for, but I know that this is so needed for him, and I've seen the physical and the cognitive, how it's helped him in those areas, and so, I'm so thankful for them.

So grateful that they've included Levi in this program.

You're not looking anymore?

No, I'm not looking anymore.

(chuckles) -Yeah.

You found it.

-This is what Levi needs.

Yeah.

And we love it here.

She's actually made me have a better appreciation for horses than I ever thought.

Because, you know, you drive around, you see 'em on these farms and, "Oh, they're pretty," you know, and I just keep going, or I used to, but now, I look at 'em in a whole different way because you see what they can do for people with all different types of needs.

Children aren't the only ones saddling up for Nicole and Jake's help.

My name's Melissa Johnson, I'm 54, I was born with spina bifida, and that means the nerves that are in your spinal cord, you're born with your spine open a little bit and there's a small hole in it, so the nerves that are supposed to be in there are not, and so, they get damaged.

So I have damage in my legs from my knees down, and in my twenties, I had to have this one amputated about six inches below my knee, and on this one, I have no muscle from the knee down.

So actually, my prosthetic leg is my strong leg, and it's my actual real leg that causes feet to limp.

If you don't have a normal gait, you don't realize.

And once you get off, it stays with you a bit, and you kind of walk, bouncing along like the horse did, and your gait's a little more normal than it was before you get on, and that surprised me, too.

So you're trying to remember all the things they tell you.

You know, keep your upper body straight, tilt this part in, and to help strengthen up those core muscles to hold you like you're supposed to be.

So been three times now, thought I'd be a lot sorer than I was, but it wasn't too bad.

Nothing that Tylenol won't cure.

And every time she asked me back, I've been so excited and can't wait to get on the horse, and he's so patient with my inexperience.

He tolerated me so well.

(chuckles) I've always wanted to ride horses because they can go faster than me, and I can move from one place to another without struggling to walk.

I'm like, I wanna run.

(chuckles) I can't do that now.

And it may be a while yet before we get to that point, before I'm totally comfortable, but we're working on it.

We're working on it.

[Michael] But Canoe Creek serves not just the families struggling with disabilities, but those who do the serving as well.

My name is Carla Jenkins, and I'm a teacher at Springville Elementary.

I teach special needs children, grades kindergarten through second grade.

Hi, I'm April McKay.

I freelance for our local paper in town, and that's how I got into volunteering for this ministry.

I'm Marietta Young.

I'm retired from the trucking industry.

So when Nicole decided she was gonna do this, she asked me for help starting the 501(c) 'cause I understand the paperwork, so I helped her with that, and then, because I have horses, she says, "Can you come when we have lessons and leave the horse around?"

So, and then the smiles keep you here, so you can never leave.

(chuckles) This past year, we decided to come on a field trip to the Canoe Creek Stables, and Nicole invited us out, and we had a great time.

I have scoliosis, so just seeing people with different limited things that they can do, this gave me hope that, even though, some days, I may not feel as great, I get inspired by the hope, seeing the smiling faces, and just them doing what they're doing, you know, trying something new and not giving up, and keep on trying.

So that inspired me to be a part of this ministry.

When you see these kids come around, I've seen so much change in the little girl that I help with, and she smiles, and she'll talk to you, and she'll high five you, and she didn't do all that before she started Nicole's program.

She had the petting zoos set up.

We got to walk and see some of the horses.

She had someone come and read a story to all of our class, and we had lunch, and they got to play in the dirt, and they just had a good time.

It was my favorite field trip.

(chuckles) I, right now, have been mainly a sidewalker for a couple of the students here, so just kind of, you know, lend a hand, so to speak, near the saddle, and walk around with the horses.

It's just a very good experience, being able to help in some form of way.

I think with the kids, it's the connection because that horse doesn't judge them like other humans, and that horse is just more relaxing.

[Michael] And what do you get outta this?

So much joy.

I know she needs me, but I need this place too.

I never leave here exhausted, or my body may feel exhausted, but my heart is full of just love and joy.

I love it.

(chuckles) It helps me to see that things are possible no matter, like, if I have a issue with my back going on with the scoliosis, it still gives me hope not to give up, just to keep trying and, you know, keep walking and keep moving to strengthen myself as well.

And that way, I'm able to help other people.

[Marietta] I get to see the smiles.

[Michael] Why the...?

'Cause I felt judged.

So here, you get to see these kids be happy and not judged.

[Michael] Why do you feel judged?

I just did.

Growing up was different.

I came from working cows and wearing jeans and boots to, you go to school and you're not supposed to look like that, and I never did fit in, so I understand how they felt.

So it's good to see 'em not feel that way in there.

[Michael] So yeah, so it's mutually healing, it sounds like.

It is.

It really is.

'Cause you leave at the end of the day, and I don't know, your heart just feels so much better.

Oh, we push.

Okay.

Good morning!

Hey' how are y'all?

Good to see y'all.

[Michael] Hello.

Hello.

Hey there, Nicole, and Tiara, and Michael.

Thank you so much.

Oh, you too.

You too.

You're awesome.

Awesome.

Yeah.

It's good to meet you.

Hey!

Good to see you too!

Oh, thank you so much for everything you've done to work on our website and help promote what we're doing.

Really appreciate all the time and talent that you've put into everything.

I'm excited to see it.

[Tiara] So here's your old website, and I really like your old website because it, built that strong foundational base for your new website, and here's your new website.

As you can see, we have this lovely little video at the very top.

It really engages the user to kind of like, stay on the web page just a little bit longer.

Let's just scroll down, we have this really powerful Sponsor a Horse.

This is huge because, without our horses, we don't have a program at all.

And horses are, you know, their upkeep is very expensive, so something like this will help not only with the feed bill, but training and vet care, farrier.

And I love how you have all the horses broken down.

There's like a little bio that gives people a little glimpse of the horse's personality so they can even try to pick a favorite.

-Do you have a favorite?

-I do.

-Pegasus.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-(Nicole chuckles) Pegasus is my favorite.

And then we have your testimonials.

It gives more people the chance to know, "Oh, okay, well, this person rated you all positively, so I'll have a good time there, too."

And then we have to Follow Our Journey, so we want your users to be able to follow you on multiple different social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram.

So we have your multiple ways to make a difference -through donations or... -Oh, I love this!

Guardian Angel's Club.

I love that.

You're trying to make me cry!

This is awesome.

And also a donation form that we've set up where you can keep track of who's donated, the amount that they've donated, their contact information, so that if you want to send them a card, then you can at a later point.

Handwritten thank-yous.

I'm all about that.

I love it.

It's so important for people to understand how much you appreciate their help.

None of this would be possible without their help, without your help.

I mean, we really just appreciate everything.

It's all a blessing.

So now we're at your volunteer page.

As you remarked, most of your services and help comes from volunteers from the community.

So if they click on this link over here, they'll open up their Google form so that you can keep track of their volunteer status, I guess you could say, and keep track of how many signups.

Oh my gosh, I love this so much.

I just asked you if you could do this, -like, was it even a week ago?

-It was about three days ago.

(chuckles) She's already done it.

That's awesome.

-Do you sleep?

-Yep.

Somehow.

[Nicole] So just out of curiosity, like, I know you've donated, you've gifted this to us, but I'm just curious, how much would something like this cost?

Some companies can charge up to $10,000 depending on like, the website and how comprehensive it is and what the hosting platform is, and everything like that.

We feel every penny that comes out of our budget because we're a newly formed non-profit, so the money that you saved us is helping feed our horses, put shoes on our horses, sponsor a rider, so thank you.

Like, it's not just building a website to us, you saved us where we could use that money elsewhere.

Well, I thank you for letting me take the opportunity to work on this website for you all.

I really believe in your mission of providing therapeutic services, especially for people with disabilities and everything, because I come from a family who also has disabilities, and so, the mission really touched my heart.

-Can I hug you?

(chuckles) -Yes.

[Nicole] Oh, thank you.

(soft ambient music fades)