50 People for 50 Years: Cliff Murtha as told by his mother, June
Written by: Madelyn Dunn, friend of the family & wife of Dennis Dunn our Facilities Manage
Cliffie and his mother June Murtha have been impressed with Mane Stream for more years than she can remember! She is impressed with the ladies who volunteer, week after week, regardless of the weather and who have learned ‘survival’ American Sign Language just so they can communicate with Cliffie.
Cliffie’s challenges during his 53 years have been vast; he was born profoundly deaf with extensive neurologic issues. Unable to suck at birth, Cliffie had to be fed upside down. Everything was difficult and as a child, if he thought he could not do something, he did not even try.
June’s dedication to making Cliffie’s life the best it can be, drove her to extensively research ways to help Cliffie. She found Everas Community Services, which had the perfect Group Home for Cliffie. June is a long-time Board member of Everas as well. June’s research also led her to the Mane Stream program over 20 years ago. When June signed to Cliffie that he was going to ride a horse, his initial reaction was NO! Thankfully, he was blessed with a very persuasive mother and he finally agreed to try it!
Thursday is Cliffie’s lesson day and it is a pivotal day in the week. June brings him to his weekly lesson. They arrive early and listen to opera or classical music while they wait for his lesson to begin. While Cliffie has had some of same team of volunteers for years, he is open to meeting new people and this summer a new young side walker joined his lesson! June likes watching Cliffie enjoy his life and interact with his “friends”, who he loves, as he signs at Mane Stream.
June commented, “Cliffie’s life, when he leaves me as I drop him off someplace, is an unknown to me. He takes the offered support from the Mane Stream team and takes off, never looking back.”
Cliffie has mobility challenges and uneven ground under his feet stops all forward progress. He just stands and wobbles as his depth perception is impaired due to his loss of vision and his loss of balance. Mane Stream has allowed Cliffie to ‘Go where it is impossible to go.’ On a horse, he can take a walk thru the woods with ease. Imagine what the smell of autumn or the feel of a gentle breeze on his skin accompanied by the steady rhythm of his horses’ gait can do for someone like Cliffie.
Perhaps most importantly at Mane Stream, Cliffie accepts change without question, whether it be an aide, a sidewalker, or a new horse. The only exception: his unwillingness to ride in anything other than a bareback pad! One of the few arguments Cliffie has won with his team while at Mane Stream.
June shares that her most favorite moment at Mane Stream was when she saw Cliffie kiss his horse. Madalyn’s favorite moment was when she was visiting with June and Cliffie, and his long-time sidewalker, Debi, appeared in a golf cart. Debi told us about a time when she was driving Cliffie and he insisted that the golf cart be stopped. Caught by surprise, Debi said Cliffie reached over, put her seatbelt on and then signed “I love you.”
Cliffie cares deeply about his ‘friends’… the ladies! He cannot wait to ride and looks forward to taking them to dinner at the Tewksbury Inn. June is so appreciative and takes immense pleasure in watching him “jabber” with the ladies and delights in the interaction and concern they have for him.
Mane Stream is an incredibly special place in the lives of both Cliffie and June. It is one tradition June hopes will continue for a long time.
