Rescued horses helped make Eden's Unicorn Wish come true

WOODBINE, Md. - Earlier this month, we introduced you to 5-year-old Eden -- a special little girl who spent the last year of her life battling brain cancer. FOX 5 teamed up with Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic to grant Eden a very special wish -- something she's always wanted -- to ride a unicorn!

Her magical journey was full of excitement as she and her family traveled by limousine around Washington, D.C. making special stops along the way. After an amazing day of adventures -- Eden's wish came true, and she was led down a red carpet to ride a beautiful white unicorn.

Days End Farm Horse Rescue is a special organization that rescues horses in the state of Maryland. They provided the horses that made 'Eden's Unicorn Wish' so special.

The work that the organization does is a labor of love according to those who work there.

"I get to come to work and help a horse and bring about change for them -- that is our mission and our purpose," said equine programs director DeEtte Hillman. She said that all of their horses have suffered some degree of abuse and neglect.

But it's much more than just a rehabilitation center. Executive Director Erin Ochoa said the program is really about education and community outreach. "We really believe that horses are a part of our culture and really want to help people see that, and feel that, and understand that excitement," she said.

"Horses are soulful animals. They willingly choose to connect with you as a human being," Hillman added. "Horses have a tremendous ability to overcome, to forgive, to move forward, to look past. They have incredible memories and yet they face each new day with opportunity and looking forward."

"When Make A Wish came out to us we got very excited trying to figure out which one of our horses would be the one to make this dream come true," said development director Caroline R. Robertson.

The group decided that 'Munchkin' and 'Kaboom' were the perfect pair to help complete Eden's special day. 'Munchkin' played the pegasus and 'Kaboom' the unicorn.

The team said it was such a joy to take part in a special story like Eden's, especially since their day-to-day work is often very serious and stressful.

"I was just really proud to see my team so excited and selflessly be there. It was not about winning a blue ribbon but really about just making a little girl's dream come true," Ochoa said.

Donations are important to Days End Farm Horse Rescue -- and there are many ways to give!

You can find out how you can help by visiting: http://www.defhr.org/ways-to-give/