Barbara R. Morello-O'Donnell

Barbara was born in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, to a Swiss immigrant father and Canadian mother and grew up in Mitchell, Ontario. In 1979 Barbara attended Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, and received a diploma in Interior Design. She went on to study fine art and art history at Wilfred Laurie University in Kitchener Waterloo and the University of Toronto. Her love for art, design, and architecture was a natural fit to become one of Canada's first female professional architectural rendering artists. She worked as a world-renowned watercolor rendering artist for twenty-five years, producing high-quality paintings for a prestigious clientele.

Barbara moved to South Florida in 2004 wither son Christopher Morello where she continued working as a rendering artist and later married her fiancée Michael O'Donnell in 2014.

Her first book, "In God's Waiting Room," came about as a result of losing partial vision when struck down by the 2009 H1N1 virus combined with a massive stroke while on life support during a two-week coma. Unable to return to her profession, she embarked on a new mission, writing her incredible story of what happened during her coma experience.

Barbara with her husband Mike are the founders of faith-based See Horse Miami's Equine Assisted Learning Program. With her second chance at life, she has been on a mission to help children and adults find a relationship with Jesus, understand the importance of prayer, and discover their God-given purpose through the use of horses.

Her second book, "Barbie's Sea Horse," was inspired by her grown-up children to reach the youth through fantastical illustrations. Her goal is to help them approach challenges with a spiritual perspective instead of a worldly one.

The Sea Horse character Toes in the book Barbie's Sea Horse is based on the real therapy horse at See Horse Miami. A sweet Palomino quarter horse, Toes really does perform tricks, give kisses, and plays soccer. He warms the hearts of the many women and kids who have interacted with him, bringing joy, laughter, and finding a unique bond.

For more information about our ministry work or our Equine Assisted Learning Program, please visit www.seehorsemiami.org.

To know more about In God’s Waiting Room, please visit www.ingodswaitingroom.net

Contact Barbara O’Donnell at seehorsemiami@gmail.com