On July 8th, 2000, Sara Joy Rychener and Jay David Burkholder pledged their lives to each other in marriage. On March 15th, 2002, their plans and dreams of raising a family together were altered as Sara gave birth to their first child. Jackson David was delivered by emergency cesarean section.

A few hours later Sara passed away from unknown causes. Due to the complication of being without oxygen during delivery, Jackson was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Doctors informed our families that the damage to Jackson’s brain was permanent and would never improve. They gave us a list of things Jackson would never accomplish. He would never walk. He would never talk. He would never eat on his own and would need to have a feeding tube. He would need drugs to control his condition for the rest of his life. He would spend his entire life in a wheelchair. As he got older, no one would be able to take care of him on their own and we should consider putting him in a home that would be equipped to meet his countless needs.

Our families refused to accept these grim predictions about what Jackson’s life would and would not be. During our search and subsequent journeys for treatment for Jackson, we met so many families who, like us, were emotionally, physically and financially strained trying to ensure that their loved ones were given every opportunity for increased independence. We decided to serve these families by establishing a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called “Sara’s Garden”.

Sara’s Garden was founded in May 2004 and provides clients with specialized, comprehensive Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Autism Intervention, Conductive Education, Occupational Therapy, Sensory Integration and Speech-Language Pathology services. Through these services we have been able to help children and adults with disabilities and conditions develop, grow, and achieve greater independence than their families were told was possible. As of today, we remain the only non-profit center in the United States to provide all of these services.

What started out as a facility that treated only children with Cerebral Palsy, has grown to include clients of all ages and conditions… such as ALS, Autism, Burns, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Lyme Disease, Migraine, Multiple Sclerosis, RSD, Seizure Disorders, Sports Injury, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury and Wound Healing.

At Sara’s Garden, we ensure that serving families is at the heart of everything we do. We strive to provide independence and the freedom to live life to its fullest!

Even though we are located in Wauseon, Ohio, our licensed professionals serve those from neighboring communities, counties and states through programs that are not offered in conjunction elsewhere. Sara’s Garden provides the highest quality of medical and educational programming available and empowers individuals with disabilities to reach their full potential.

Please take a moment to get to know us. From our history and mission, to our amazing staff and state-of-the-art facilities… we believe you will find that we strive to meet the needs of our clients and exceed your expectations. This commitment is founded in our belief that our clients always come first.

If you would like to receive any additional information regarding Sara’s Garden and the services we provide, please feel free to contact us.