You who follow the adventures of the Barefoot Blogger know I had a fall in the Fall (pun intended), a trip on a Trip, and I’m still recovering.

After ten weeks cooped up in a hospital and rehab, I’m back home in Uzés, remembering it all. In retrospect, it was very traumatic. The fall, the ambulance ride and emergency room experience — all were very sudden and all in French.

I know I’ll get to the “other side” soon. I’ll walk without a limp; I’ll have full range of motion with my arm and shoulder. It’ll just takes time.

It seems a coincidence that during my confinement I learned about a friend’s bad luck that makes my “inconvenience” seem minor. The amazing Verity Smith, the blind equestrian I’ve written about, has lost the horse that was to take her gallantly into the Olympics.

This setback isn’t Verity’s first. She’s faced more than most of us could bare, including a childhood disease that left her blind.

After each setback, Verity gets up again. She finds a way to the “other side.”

Verity Smith inspires me and thousands of others. She gives meaning to so many lives. She needs our help. Please read on…republished from ¨France Today Magazine.“

Verity Smith and A Blind Girl’s Dream: Olympic Gold for France

By Deborah Bine

A couple of years ago I met and wrote about a most incredible woman, Verity Smith. Based in Nîmes, she is an equestrian of dual British-French citizenship who hopes to be the first blind rider in the world to win both a Paralympics and an Olympic medal.

Verity’s life story is an inspiration. It’s a tale of grace and courage, hopes and disappointments, promises and tears. (Continue reading … click here..….)

A Holiday Gift with Meaning: A Blind Girl’s Dream

To learn more about a “gift with meaning” for Verity Smith, go directly to the GoFundMe site. Click here.