As featured by Humans of the Keys
Toni's story, in her own words
When I was young, I told my parents that I'd have my own dolphins someday (I'm from Minnesota so they just sort of laughed).
Years later, I had a downhill skiing accident in California that left me with a broken neck, collarbone and sternum and I also suffered from some temporary paralysis in both arms. I missed most of the rest of my 9th grade year but while I was out of school, I was desperate to find a way to get well. I was 14 years old and had my whole life ahead of me and I certainly wasn't prepared to live it in that condition. I found an article in People magazine (long before the internet) about Dr. David Nathanson and Dolphin Human Therapy in Key Largo. At the time, it was the only dolphin-assisted therapy program in the world and I was intrigued by the research about the healing abilities of dolphins sending ultrasound emissions and vibrations to spinal cord injury patients delivered through the water. I made the long-distance call to Dolphin Human Therapy and learned there was a 7-year waiting list to be seen. Seven years! I didn't ever make it to Dolphin Human Therapy as a spinal cord injury patient, but three-plus years of regular chiropractic appointments and physical therapy several times a week brought me back to excellent health.
I was a psychology major in college and in my junior year, I had to either choose a topic and write a thesis or participate in an internship for an entire semester. While searching for internships in the Minneapolis area, I discovered I would most likely be bound to an office working with children with behavioral or mental health issues, which was fascinating to me, but I wanted to find something a little more unique and challenging. I drove up to the University of Minnesota's medical school library and spent the day ordering publications from medical journals and making photocopies of articles about different disorders, therapies and careers. Much to my surprise, I came across an article about Dolphin Human Therapy again so I gathered some additional information and prepped myself for a phone call about a possible internship with them.
The first time I called, I was abruptly told they were a private company and didn't have an internship program. That wasn't the news I expected...I wanted an internship with this company and was going to find a way to get it. Among several other tactics, I ended up paging through a Miami, Florida white-pages phone book and found Dr. Nathanson's home phone number. Everyone thought I was crazy...and maybe I was.
I called him one evening out of the blue and caught him completely off-guard as he was preparing dinner. He really wasn't interested in having a conversation with me but I grabbed his attention, initially through my "strong Minnesota accent", but eventually with my story about calling six years prior as a spinal cord injury patient wanting to come to Dolphin Human Therapy. I explained that I understood that they didn't actually offer internships but assured him that if he gave me a chance, I'd be the best intern he never thought he'd have. Haha. I'm not sure what sold him on my idea, aside from my quick wit and mid-western charm, but he suggested I contact their public relations person to discuss an opportunity. Several phone calls and weeks later, I landed a position as their first intern.
I spent my summer working at Dolphin Human Therapy with an incredibly talented group of individuals; some of the kindest people I have ever known in my lifetime. When it was time for me to head back to Minnesota in August for my senior year of college, I was presented with an opportunity to be a paid employee at Dolphin Human Therapy but still had to finish my last year of school. A hurricane hit unexpectedly and I was forced to head north earlier than planned which made leaving a little easier but my job there was definitely unfinished in my mind. I got settled back into school in Minnesota but I missed my life in Florida terribly. I wanted nothing more than to be back in the Keys, working with my colleagues, swimming with dolphins and living on the ocean again. By mid-September, I had made arrangements with the President of my university to finish my degree through independent study and under Dr. Nathanson (who was also a professor at Florida International University) with the option to transfer all my credits back so my degree would still be from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Everything sort of fell into place as I knew it would. I moved down to the Keys in January of 1996, flew back to Minnesota to graduate in May and headed right back to Florida until 1999.
Clippings from the DHT days
I spent three wonderful years working in Florida but eventually wanted to move back to Minnesota again to be closer to my family. The day I moved home, I promised myself I'd have a house in the Keys one day. I met my husband shortly after moving home and we have vacationed in the Keys ever since. In 2015, I discovered Indigo Reef in Marathon and I felt it was built just for me. We met with Shannon Butler, our realtor who showed us the property and we loved everything about it but it was a bit out of our price range. I promised her we'd buy a house there someday so asked her not to give up on me but to please keep me posted on any listings that met certain criteria. I was so picky, I didn't think it really existed but I waited patiently. For two years, she sent me every listing under the sun and finally in October, instead of emailing, she called me and told me she found "the house"...and she had. We bought the house sight-unseen this winter and it is everything I could have imagined and more. We have already been there three times and can't wait to get there again.
My parents have always told me to follow my dreams. I am so grateful that they allowed and encouraged me to not only dream big, but to follow through on them as well. I still have 9 years until I can retire but that house in the Keys…it's my home away from home. My complete serenity. My dream come true.
Originally shared as a Humans of the Keys feature. Read the original post ›