Down syndrome limits her communication skills, but it’s clear animals make her happy

Seated on a bench at an animal farm in Davie, 10-year-old Angelina Lopez fidgets, her hands bending back at awkward angles. She occasionally has a loud outburst. She looks towards you — sometimes, craning her neck — if you call her name. It’s not clear if Angelina is agitated. Even her parents can’t always tell. They say they learn more about how she expresses her needs and desires every day.

But put on her black velvet riding cap and sit her atop Sampson, an enormous half-mule, half-horse that stands about six feet tall, and Angelina is easier to understand. She’s all smiles, waving to family and friends and making comments that aren’t exactly clear as Sampson saunters slowly along a dirt path.

“The first time she got on, we knew right away this was her happy place,” said Angelina’s mom, Glenda Lopez.

Angelina has Down syndrome, a genetic disorder that occurs when a child is born with an extra chromosome. It usually is accompanied by atypical features like a flattened face or small hands and feet, and often causes learning disabilities and problems communicating. Angelina has also been diagnosed more recently on the autism spectrum.

For the first year of her life, her mother and father said she met all the usual milestones of growth and was even advanced at many developmental skills, like learning to use the bathroom at six months. But she began having seizures when she turned 1, and regressed.

“She was potty trained. Then she wasn’t,” said Glenda Lopez, an emergency room nurse. Her husband Ronnie Lopez manages construction sites.

The years that followed were difficult, but eased with the help of friends and her older brothers. Angelina attends school, but takes intensive learning classes at Silver Ridge Elementary in Davie. She also undergoes physical and mental therapy sessions three times a week at home. She recently blossomed and became a bit more independent after the family installed a small playground in the backyard.

Her parents said her brothers have been immensely helpful, spending time with their younger sibling. Last week at the animal farm, brother Nicholas, 16, was continuously by her side, trying to help Angelina focus and making sure she was comfortable atop Sampson.

“It’s a constant learning thing for us,” said Ronnie Lopez. “Like bringing her here brings a sense of structure. She knows if she comes here she has to act a certain way.”

The family said the pandemic years were particularly tough on Angelina, especially the newness and discomfort of wearing a mask. She’d often get frustrated and lash out, throwing things or striking at people or animals.

They first brought Angelina to the HAPPI Farm in Davie when she was 7. The nonprofit, animal-assisted learning center (Horse And Petting Pal Interaction Farm) is the agency that nominated Angelina for Wish Book, the Miami Herald’s annual series about people in need in our community.

“She was afraid at first,” said Marie Lim, who owns and manages the animals. And there are many there, from roosters to emus to turtles — even bulls, donkeys, ostriches and horses. “But within a few minutes she realized they liked her.”

Atop Sampson’s tall haunches last week, Angelina alternated between clasping the horn on the saddle and clapping her hands. When dad tried to lift her off, she at first refused. A moment later she was in his arms. He even got a kiss.

“She’s unable to communicate,” said Ronnie Lopez. “But I think she understands everything. When she was young, she used to play the piano. She was even advanced. It got complicated.”

Angelina’s parents said they could use a little help paying for her private therapy sessions. But just as important, they want to get her a new iPad — it’s an important way for her to communicate, doctors have told the family.

Still, it’s the visits to HAPPI Farm that Angelina craves and seems to love best. There, last week, she was asked if she liked the animals.

“Whoa,” she said as she clapped her hands. Then she uttered something else that sounded very much like, “Ya.”

HOW TO HELP

To help this Wish Book nominee and the more than 100 other nominees who are in need this year:

• To donate, use the coupon found in the newspaper or pay securely online through www.MiamiHerald.com/wishbook

• For more information, call 305-376-2906 or emailWishbook@MiamiHerald.com

• The most requested items are often laptops and tablets for school, furniture, and accessible vans

• Read all Wish Book stories on www.MiamiHerald.com/wishbook