LOWELL, Mich. — A pair of 19-year-old twin sisters with Down syndrome are bringing smiles to seniors through their own business, which features miniature horses.
Melanie and Molly Wade, known as Mel and Mol, run "Mol and Mel's Miracle Machine. " They bring their miniature horses to facilities like Care Resources in Lowell, where seniors can interact with them.
"They love grandmas and grandpas, and they love bringing smiles. It's just a great, great thing," said Patty Wade, the twins' mother.
The sisters became involved with horses four years ago through the Michigan Horse Driving School, which works with special needs children. Their mother has noticed significant personal development since they began the program.
"Simple things we all take for granted, just making eye contact with other people, greeting people, introducing themselves. They're more outgoing, they're more confident," Patty said.
Jennifer Groters, Michigan Horse Driving School Director, recalls how the business idea originated.
"One day, when their parents were late picking them up, they said, We want to own our own business. And I said, Girls, what do you want to do? And Melanie said, I want to put smiles on people's faces. And her sister said, happy smiles. And I said, well, who do you want to do that for? And they said, grandmas and grandpas," Groters explained.
The program has been well-received by senior care facilities.
"We love this program. When we heard about it, we were so excited to bring them here to be able to support Mol and Mel in their mission to help bring some joy and happiness to seniors," said Lorelei Smits, Care Resources Recreation Therapist.
For Patty Wade, the business has benefited the entire family: "They love it. It's been a blessing. It's been wonderful. It's been a great thing for the whole family."
Organizations or people interested in scheduling a visit from Mol and Mel's Miracle Machine can call 616-522-2450 to book an appointment.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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