My name is Bryleigh Grace Williams. In September 2025, my life changed in an instant. After an equine accident left me with a broken hip, I underwent surgery expecting a long but straightforward recovery. Instead, I developed a life-threatening blood clot in my portal vein and was airlifted to Texas Children's Hospital. I spent weeks in the ICU, including three days on a ventilator, while an incredible interventional radiology team worked tirelessly to remove the clot and save my life.

The physical challenges were overwhelming, but the emotional ones were just as difficult. I grew weak, discouraged, and at times, I felt like giving up. In those moments, my faith was tested, but God never left my side. Even when I couldn't see the path forward, He was already working through the people and moments placed in my life.

Then Melman came to visit me.

Melman, a therapy dog, walked into my hospital room and somehow everything felt a little lighter. I sat up in bed. I smiled. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt hope again. I truly believe God placed him in my life at exactly the moment I needed him most. He came back to see me several times during my stay, and each visit was a reminder that I was not alone and that God's love can show up in the most unexpected ways.

Through conversations with his handler, I learned that miniature horses can also be trained for animal-assisted therapy. That idea stayed with me. It became something I held onto during my recovery, a calling that felt bigger than my circumstances and a way to use what I had been through for something meaningful.

That is how Healing Tails began.