Sara’s Garden Celebrates 20 Years of Hope, Help & Healing

Sara’s Garden Celebrates 20 Years of Hope, Help & Healing

Across 20 years, Sara’s Garden has transformed tragedy and loss into a legacy of hope, help, and healing! Sara Joy Rychener-Burkholder, a 25-year-old wife, teacher, and expectant mother, died of internal bleeding during the birth of her first child. She was the first woman in over 50 years to die in childbirth at the Fulton County Health Center in Wauseon. The traumatic birth deprived her son, Jackson, of oxygen. Doctors would later diagnose Jackson with cerebral palsy (CP) and provide the family with a very bleak prognosis of what his life would be like. Rather than giving up or giving into grief, the Burkholders and Rycheners transformed it into action, creating and founding Sara’s Garden – The Sara Joy Rychener-Burkholder Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center, a nonprofit organization, which has treated close to a thousand families in need of HBOT services over the last 20 years. Sara’s Garden truly offers families hope, help, and healing!

Below are some special moments and transformative stories from the past 20 years compiled from articles, newsletters, and client experiences.

Chelsea and Taylor
Chelsea was among those families looking for hope and support to overcome the effects of Hashimoto’s Disease and Premature Ovarian Failure (POF). “When I arrived at Sara’s Garden for my first treatment and saw that their mission is ‘Hope, Help, Healing,’ I knew that I was in the right place. I needed healing in more than just my body, and God provided that to me. He used Sara’s Garden, a grief counseling group at my church, my acupuncturist, and the countless prayers of family, friends, and even strangers to bring me healing. It is only because of Him that I was able to give birth to a perfectly healthy, 8 lb. 12 oz., baby boy on July 8 of 2020.”

Just like Chelsea, her sister Taylor had also been told by multiple reproductive specialists that she could never have children. She is the reason Chelsea sought out Sara’s Garden and is now the mother of four beautiful children. Sara’s Garden offers families hope, help, and healing!

HBOT Services and Staff
The basis of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber to help the body heal and fight infections. The increased air pressure in the chamber helps the lungs collect more oxygen, which can then travel up to 20 times farther through the bloodstream to help with wound healing, tissue growth, pain relief, immune system responses, and so many other healing processes.

For true healing through HBOT, it takes more than the pressurized oxygen chamber. Here at Sara’s Garden, it takes a dedicated, caring, compassionate staff made up of three Certified Hyperbaric Registered Nurses (CHRN), along with another CHRN candidate, a paramedic/EMT, Clinic Coordinator Lori Fredrick–a master’s level nurse with over 37 years of nursing experience, and a volunteer doctor and medical director. Every client that comes to Sara’s Garden for HBOT treatments can be assured that our quality, committed staff are here to help them find hope and healing in a safe, supportive environment!

Miracles don’t usually occur overnight or after just one HBOT treatment. Sara’s Garden Director/CEO (and Sara Rychener-Burkholder’s brother) Matt Rychener notes that there are usually no immediate miraculous results after just one treatment. In fact, the best results happen when the client makes a commitment to have HBOT treatments several times a week. “The more exposure to the oxygen, the better, so several treatments each week are recommended. Patients aren’t required to do a certain number of treatments. We find that they know when they want to stop; because even if there aren’t visible outside changes, they know when they experience a positive change and begin to feel better.”

Brittany and Tony
“Ten years ago, Brittany had her last dive on her 13th birthday. Our success at Sara’s Garden was a major turning point in the treatment of her intractable epilepsy. Since then, she has graduated from Lake High School (2012), completed the Life Skills Program at Penta Career Center (2015), moved into a group home run by Luther Home of Mercy (2015), and started working part-time in the cafeteria at Mercy St. Charles Hospital (2016). Today (July, 2016), Brittany turns 23 years old, and our prayer of thanks includes the staff of Sara’s Garden for the love, compassion and care that we ALL received 10 years ago. I have no doubt in my mind that HBOT started the cascade of successes that we have seen over the past 10 years! Thank you Sara’s Garden for helping to literally save Brittany’s life!”

Since completing treatments, Tony is overjoyed to report that the migraines which had plagued him for so long have finally gone away. He has noticed more flexibility with his back and felt there was finally a shift in his body’s healing. People have commented that he looks so much better and seems to have better control of his body movements and surety in his gait. “I feel great and am so thankful for these treatments. My bones are healed, my migraines have dissipated, and my back is loosening up. Everyone at Sara’s Garden was so helpful and friendly. I cannot begin to tell you how much this process has meant to me. I grow stronger every day and have much better mental clarity.” Thanks to HBOT and the grace of God, Tony has been able to fulfill the dream he had before his car accident to start a new ministry in central Ohio. No matter what you’ve been told, there is hope, help, and healing!

HBOT Facility Transformation
A steel foundry used to sit at the corner of Leggett Street and Lawrence Avenue in Wauseon; but just like Sara’s Garden’s patients, it too was transformed in 2004 into a place of hope, help, and healing! Over the last 20 years, it has housed Sara’s Garden’s bright, purple HBOT chambers, which have transformed the lives of countless patients and their families through 10,000+ dives or treatments. In 2014, the HBOT chambers and facility were renovated with the hope that they would provide hope, help, and healing for patients for another 10 years, and they certainly have! As long as there are those seeking services, there is little doubt that Sara’s Garden and its HBOT chambers will continue to provide hope, help and healing for families from across the country.

Aubree and Brianne
Aubree started HBOT on January 9, 2013, nearly immobile, non-responsive, and with a TBI two months after her near fatal car accident. After just a week of treatments on January 15, Aubree began talking, bringing most of Sara’s Garden’s staff to tears. As the month went on, she began moving around, getting off of her stretcher between treatments, and even walking up and down the hall with no assistance. Several of the EMTs who had been transporting Aubree to Sara’s Garden the first week did not see her again until her fourth and final week of treatments. They were shocked, elated, and overjoyed at the progress she had made in that short time. The young woman, who had arrived on her first day of HBOT treatments on a stretcher, walked out the door on her own 40 treatments later!

Months after Brianne’s migraine struck, she still had to wear darkly tinted glasses indoors, a brimmed hat outdoors, and earplugs to avoid loud sounds. Due to constant migraine pain (even on nine medications), she had to drop out of school and quit her part-time job. By the middle of her second week of HBOT treatments, Brianne had a 20-minute respite from her pain. This was the beginning of the light at the end of the tunnel! From that point on, her pain began to recede. She started to spend time with her family in the living room watching television, was soon turning the radio on in the car on her way to HBOT treatments, and even ventured out shopping with no hat or sunglasses. By the end of her third week of HBOT, Brianne was stating that she was pain-free and started driving for the first time in over six months! Since then, Brianne has had several migraines that she refers to as “normal people” migraines, which last only a few hours and have been traced to low blood sugar, fatigue or muscle strain. She combats them with frequent small meals, yoga, and the occasional nap. Thanks to HBOT at Sara’s Garden, Brianne has her life back! Her family is convinced that without these treatments, none of this would have been possible. No matter what you’ve been told, there is hope, help, and healing.

Growth at the Garden
Sara’s Garden is the only non-profit facility in all of North America to offer specialized, comprehensive hyperbaric oxygen therapy, conductive education, autism intervention, and sensory integration services. Sara’s Garden has treated clients from as far away as Oregon and Washington in the Great Northwest, California and Arizona in the West, to Alabama and Louisiana in the South, to Maine and New York City in the East, as well as Canada. What started out as a facility that treated only children with cerebral palsy, has grown to include clients of all ages and conditions, including ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, autism, burns, cancer, Lyme disease, migraines, multiple sclerosis (MS), Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), seizure disorders, sports injuries, stroke, Long Haul Covid or Post-Covid Conditions (PCC), traumatic brain injury (TBI), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and wound healing.

Mikayla and Melody
Mikayla never dreamed that something as seemingly harmless as a concussion would result in over two years of profound physical, emotional, and psychological trauma; so her advice for anyone considering HBOT is “Do it and don’t lose hope!”

Before coming to Sara’s Garden because of her seizures, Melody had never walked, talked, ate independently, or played with objects. During her initial visit to Sara’s Garden, Melody did 20 treatments in October, returned a few months later in February for an additional 10 treatments, and followed up with 20 more treatments the following June. Her family could not believe the amazing results they saw in her, and even her therapists were shocked at the results! Her first school year after those HBOT treatments was the first school year where she accomplished virtually all of her IEP goals. Her motor skills improved to the point where she could pull objects out of a bucket and make purposeful movements in her gait trainer (even moving it on her own). She no longer has severe muscle tone issues and has been using communication boards to effectively communicate with those around her. She even went six months without any seizure activity!

Hope, Help and Healing!
Over the last 20 years, Sara’s Garden has touched so many lives and offered families hope, help, and healing. All of their HBOT stories and more are treasured on sarasgarden.org.

Looking back over the years, we have been blessed beyond measure and humbly acknowledge that we have so much to be thankful for.

We are thankful that Dave & Judy and Chuck & Pam were obedient to God’s calling on their lives and were willing to take such a huge leap of faith, in a season of grieving, and start Sara’s Garden.

We are thankful for our dedicated and selfless board members, both past and present, who have given so much time, effort and expertise in helping to shape and guide the organization.

We are thankful for our talented and caring staff who pour out so much love and compassion into the lives of our clients and their families every single day.

We are thankful for our clients who have entrusted us to serve them, at times against traditional medical advice.

We are thankful for our countless donors and volunteers who have come along side Sara’s Garden to partner with us and provide crucial funding, skills and services allowing us to provide these life-changing treatments.

Finally, we are thankful for God’s blessings on this organization and humbled that He has allowed us to play a part in the lives of so many amazing clients and families for the past twenty years.

Our hope and prayer is that we continue to be obedient to God’s calling, just as our founders were, as we embark on our next twenty years.

If you or someone you know is looking for hope, help, and healing and you think hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may help, please reach out to Sara’s Garden at 419-335-7272 or email info@sarasgarden.org. Help us to continue celebrating the power of hope, healing, and HBOT for another 20 years!

Roadside Roasts

Roadside Roasts

Our coffee truck is officially out on the road! For the past month and a half, we have been taking the truck to different locations in the community. Come out and see our amazing crew and let them serve you one of our delicious roadside roasts or treats.

We can’t wait for school to start back up in the fall. Our hope is that this mobile vocational center will expand our current capability out into Northwest Ohio to reach additional special needs students, specifically the students at our Springfield campus and other partner schools. It will allow us to further educate the surrounding communities about the vocational needs of young adults with disabilities and promote the awareness that every community can and should support all of its students and community members. 

We are so thankful and grateful to the Zeisloft Family Trust for establishing a lasting legacy of vocational, recreational, and therapeutic skill development for special needs children and youth through Sara’s Garden, New Horizons Academy and Special Grounds Coffee Co.! 

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on our weekly schedule. If you are interested in having us at your business or upcoming event please contact Tara Dumas at 419-335-7272 or email at tarad@sarasgarden.org to discuss scheduling opportunities.

Where's the truck? Follow us to stay up to date!

Handcrafted Hope

Handcrafted Hope

We know how capable our students are at NHA, and we are giving them another opportunity to display their creative sides through a new program called Handcrafted Hope.

We look through any disability and allow their ability to take hold to create festive Christmas ornaments made from the burlap coffee bean sacks from Special Grounds.

These will be on sale closer to the holiday season at Special Grounds.

Also each student in our high school and middle school are learning to sew their own bag to sell. They are also made from the coffee bean sacks from Special Grounds, and will be fully lined with a magnetic closure.

The students have chosen the fabric, cut the fabric, added a stabilizer fabric for strength, and added reinforced stitching to make a quality bag. One of our students, Auron, has also designed a tag. The back of the tag will be signed by who has made the bag, and will be attached to every bag.

They have been working very diligently in work study to accomplish this, so look for them soon as many are very near completion. 

Special Grounds Coffee Talk

Special Grounds Coffee Talk

Things have been very busy at Special Grounds the past few months we continue to be humbled and amazed at the outpouring of support and encouragement that we receive from the surrounding communities! Below are a few of the exciting things we wanted to share:

Special Grounds Turns 1 Year Old!

In September, we celebrated the cafe’s 1st birthday! It’s hard to believe that we’ve been open an entire year already. The time has flown by and we are amazed at all that our staff and kiddos have accomplished.

Cinnamon Rolls Are a Big Hit!

We have recently introduced a special offering to our bakery counter on Friday mornings: homemade cinnamon rolls! To say these cinnamon rolls have been a big hit would be a huge understatement. They are a huge labor of love and take three days to prepare everything from scratch. Every Friday morning, Jen brings out the first batch of freshly baked cinnamon rolls at 7:30 a.m. They’re so delicious and are usually sold out by 9:00 a.m.

NHA Staff Lunch Program

We received many requests from our staff at NHA from both campuses to come up with a way for them to order lunches from Special Grounds as they are unable to leave their students many times and go out for lunch on their own. Recently we’ve developed an employee portal where staff can order lunches once a week from the cafe. Students make and package these lunches on their specific days during their work study time. Students from the high school then get to pickup and deliver lunches to the NHA classrooms once a week.

Fundraising Season Kicks Off

Are you tired of doing car washes, selling candy or doing the same old boring fundraising activities to raise funds for your schools, clubs or churches? Here at Special Grounds we know what it takes to make people happy… and that’s coffee! We LOVE partnering with local schools, clubs and churches to develop unique FUNdraising programs centered around Special Grounds coffee. Contact Trishelle or Tara today to learn how Special Grounds can help you meet your fundraising goals with our fun and creative FUNdraising programs. 

Special Grounds Coffee Talk

Special Grounds Coffee Talk

Our NHA students are home on their summer break… but that doesn’t mean things slow down for the staff at Special Grounds. Our June and July summer camps at Sara’s Garden have given new groups of kiddos from both the Wauseon and Springfield campuses the opportunity to shine out at the coffee shop.

Each week, students have had the opportunity to gain valuable vocational skills and opportunities working at Special Grounds. These kids continue to amaze us! From behind the scenes tasks such as labeling cups and stamping sleeves, to making sandwiches, breakfast burritos, salads and delicious pastries, to working up on the line and register in the cafe… they’ve done an absolutely amazing job and put a smile on the face of everyone they serve and have the opportunity to work with! 

Special Grounds Coffee Talk

Special Grounds Coffee Talk

At the beginning of the year, we began discussing the possibility of partnering with local schools, churches and non-profit organizations to develop fundraising programs to support their organizations that centered around coffee.

Typical fundraising programs promote the sale of food items (ie: candy bars, popcorn, pizza, cookie dough and various sweets). Most of these products are not locally made and come from large national wholesalers. Our hope was to create a program that would feature reasonably priced, locally sourced products that provided an amazing return on investment to the organization selling them.

Before we launched our fundraising plans, we were approached by Liberty Center Schools, who had been selling Special Grounds coffee to their school through their Tigers Breakfast and Brew Crew coffee cart. Every two weeks the LC crew loads up their carts with freshly brewed coffee from Special Grounds, hot chocolate, granola bars and donuts and begins filling and delivering orders across the district.

We developed a fundraising program for Liberty Center students to sell coffee to their friends and families. We even created a private label roast, called TIGER FUEL, specifically for Liberty Center schools to be the featured coffee in this program.

What an amazing experience this has been for all of us! Liberty Center Schools sold over 1,400 bags of coffee over the course of the past month, raising almost $9,000 for their school’s PTO.

A few LC students even had the opportunity to come tour the coffee shop and career center and helped label over 900 bags of the coffee they sold.

From start to finish, our coffee is not only benefiting the organizations with whom we partner, but it is also benefiting those individuals who are helping make the product!

Coffee Talk: Hope Brews at Special Grounds

Coffee Talk: Hope Brews at Special Grounds

Welcome to the January 2022 edition of Coffee Talk! Each quarter we hope to update everyone on what’s happening out at Special Grounds Coffee Co… from exciting new drink recipes and delicious food offerings, to fun events and giveaways. We are so blessed by your support of Special Grounds and are so thankful for what this project means for our kiddos at NHA.

ICE SCULPTING

On Saturday, Dec 11, 2021, 32 Wauseon Chamber businesses were part of the Wauseon Chamber of Commerce Ice Sculpting Event that featured Ice Creations with Chad Hartson and 4 other talented ice sculptors. Special Grounds Coffee was part of this event and it was fascinating to see how they sculpt the ice and how quickly they finished it.

HANDCRAFTED ARTISAN SOAP

This past month, the kids at NHA tried their hands at something new. We made espresso soap from our amazing espresso beans and it looks and smells divine! The first batch of bars were available for purchase right before Christmas and they were a huge hit as they sold out in just over a week. More soap is curing now and should be available soon!

NEW FLAVORS & RECIPES COMING SOON!

In the middle of January, we will be releasing some new drinks in the coffee shop, including: a Pistachio Latte, a Toffee Blondie Latte, and a new Strawberry Banana Smoothie! We will also have a release of our new seasonal LTO flavored coffees. Stop in and check out our new merchandise. Follow us on social media for details and release dates!

SANCTUARY SEATING & RENTAL

Our sanctuary is finally complete and we couldn’t be more thrilled. The sanctuary offers the cafe’s customers additional seating in a beautiful and inviting environment. The cafe’s sanctuary is also available to rent for private parties and events. For more information on sanctuary rental please contact Tara or Matt at 419-335-7272 or via email at tarad@sarasgarden.org or mattr@sarasgarden.org.

THANK YOU!

Lastly, but most importantly… THANK YOU! Thank you to everyone who had a part in making this dream come true. Thank you to all of the contractors and suppliers for all of your help and hard work. Thank you to all of our customers for your amazing support and and positive feedback. Thank you to all of our staff for your tireless effort and amazing smiles and attitudes. Because of all of you we are able to provide a vocational experience to our kids that is beyond anything we ever dreamed! They have taken ownership in this little coffee shop in a way that we could never imagined. We are beyond blessed by all of you for support and love!

Special Grounds Project Update ~ Oct. 2021

Special Grounds Project Update ~ Oct. 2021

Special Grounds is officially open!

It look well over a year for us to finally say that, and we could not feel more blessed!

As with everything else in the world recently, complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic made this such a challenging project… from supply chain issues to contractor scheduling and availability. While these unforeseen factors may have caused delays in our progress, they couldn’t temper our excitement and joy for what this facility will provide to our students.

Our grand opening celebration was on Tuesday, September 14 and we are still in awe at the outpouring of support we’ve received from the community. Our students continue to stay busy putting labels on cups, stamping logos and writing thank you notes on coffee sleeves, baking the pastries and making the sandwiches and salads we are serving in the cafe.

Our drive through and indoor dining in the cafe are open from 6:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

Stop in and see us at 854 S. Shoop Avenue in Wauseon! We can’t wait to serve you!

Special Grounds Project Update ~ July 2021

Special Grounds Project Update ~ July 2021

We want to keep everyone informed on the status of our exciting new project, Special Grounds Coffee Shop.

We are SOOO CLOSE to being done with construction. The past month saw a tremendous amount of work completed.

  • Drywall is done and the walls have been painted.
  • Our new awnings over the drive up window and front entrance have been installed.
  • Counters have been installed and plumbing is being hooked up.
  • Ceiling grid is in and lights are being installed.
  • The kids have been hard at work helping our staff create delicious pastries to sample

Until we officially open, you can still order our delicious, locally-roasted coffees online for pickup or delivery right to your door! Our e-commerce website (SpecialGroundsCoffee.com) is up and running and ready to connect you with the most delicious coffee you will ever taste!

If you would prefer to purchase your coffee in person, we’ve got you covered for that that as well. We have been attending various Farmer’s Markets in the area and have received great response from these events. Below are the events we are currently scheduled to attend over the coming months:

  • July 15 – Perrysburg
  • July 15 & 16 – Wauseon Tent Sale
  • July 22 – Perrysburg
  • July 29 – Perrysburg
  • Aug 5 – Perrysburg
  • Sept 12 – Monarchs & More Family Fun Day (Sauder Village)

We are so grateful to the Roach Family Foundation for their amazing $10,000 grant for the purchase of equipment needed for the coffee shop!

Come out for some delicious, FREE samples and pick up a bag (or bags) of your favorite Special Grounds coffee!

Special Grounds Project Update ~ April 2021

Special Grounds Project Update ~ April 2021

We want to keep everyone informed on the status of our exciting new project, Special Grounds Coffee Shop.

Our new e-commerce website (SpecialGroundsCoffee.com) is now up and running! You can now order our delicious, locally-roasted coffees online for pickup or delivery right to your door! We have the following amazing coffees available for purchase:

All proceeds from this event will be used towards the purchase of therapy equipment for our clients and students at Sara’s Garden and New Horizons Academy. Sara’s Garden is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is the only facility in the United States to offer Autism Intervention, Conductive Education, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Sensory Integration and Speech-Language Pathology services.

Below is a list of the past golf outing sponsors that we would like to honor. Thank you for your support!

Single-Origin
  • Brazil
  • Colombia
  • Ethiopia
  • Guatemala
  • Peru
  • Sumatra
  • Uganda
Flavored
  • Awe, Nuts!
  • Blueberry Crumble
  • Cinnamon Buttercream
  • Coffee Cake
  • Cool Mint Creme
  • Hawaiian Macadamia Nut
  • Peppermint Pig
  • Pralines & Cream
  • Red, White & Blueberry
  • Toasted Macaroon
Premium Blends
  • Ind’Nile
  • Tall, Dark & Rich
  • Throat Punch
  • Wake Up Well
Decaf
  • Awe, Nuts! Decaf
  • Blueberry Crumble Decaf
  • Cinnamon Buttercream Decaf
  • Coffee Cake Decaf
  • Colombia Decaf
  • Cool Mint Creme Decaf
  • Guatemala Decaf
  • Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Decaf
  • Peppermint Pig Decaf
  • Pralines & Cream Decaf
  • Red, White & Blueberry Decaf
  • Sumatra Decaf
  • Toasted Macaroon Decaf
  • Top of the Morning Decaf

Progress continues on our actual coffee shop storefront renovations. We hope to be up and running with the fully operational coffee shop and drive up window by the end of summer.

Please continue to keep an eye out for our Special Grounds Coffee Shop Grand Opening invitation and announcement. We look forward to seeing you and serving you there!