Hi there! Welcome to our journey to gift our son, Archer, with a mobility service dog through 4 Paws for Ability. 

For those of you who may not know, our son Archer was diagnosed at birth with a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder, Central Core Disease (CCD) as a result of a change on his RYR-1 gene (auto-recessive, though my husband Bobby and I had no idea this condition existed or that we were carriers). Affected children have diminished muscle tone (hypotonia) resulting in abnormal "floppiness" and muscle weakness, which impacts critical functions such as breathing and eating and simple tasks like sitting up, crawling, standing and walking. 

 The diagnosis was a complete surprise and left us reeling.  We struggled to understand what this meant for our lives and how to navigate this new, complex world into which we'd been thrust. Accepting Archer’s diagnosis meant resetting expectations for our son and what the future might look like. Every parent has dreams and aspirations for how their child will thrive in the world and our visions were completely upended.

The hardest part was the lack of answers. When most people are handed news they weren’t expecting they go searching for answers; we were no exception. However, because CCD is so rare there were very few answers to be found and we were staring down a future with very little certainty. Would Archer walk? Talk? Eat? Having to consider that any of these possibilities were entirely feasible is more than any parent should have to bear. 

Archer’s doctors told us children affected by CCD were on a spectrum; some were more seriously impacted than others, never ambulatory and requiring round-the-clock breathing support, while other children were only mildly affected. With Archer, all they could offer was that time would tell and we would just have to wait and see how things would turn out.

Early on, we made the decision to let go of all expectations and let Archer show us, day by day, what he was capable of. We'd love him and support him and he would forge his path his own way.  Archer continues to surprise and delight us. At 18 months we were floored when he started to take steps, eventually learning to walk by his second birthday. He continues to make exceptional progress, learning new skills every day and gaining confidence in his own abilities. Our little dude is determined to be the best he can be and we are determined to help him every step of the way.

To continue to support Archer's progress, and most importantly foster independence, we're working to pair him with a special mobility service dog through 4 Paws for Ability. This dog would be a gift to our son. Not only would the dog be a physical support, particularly when he starts school, but also an emotional support to help him overcome challenges he is likely to face navigating life with a neuromuscular disorder. 

If you are able, any donation is welcome and appreciated as it'll help us reach our goal of $17,000. If you're unable to donate, we just ask that instead you do something kind for someone else and think about our guy Archie. This journey has been nothing short of miraculous and with your help we will be able to continue to foster growth and love for Archer. 

https://www.mightycause.com/story/Edx8cg

Ezra Santos is a sweet, happy, energetic 4-year-old who has an extremely rare genetic condition that is causing him to lose all his abilities. Ezra is expected to be completely wheelchair bound, unable to speak, eat, and control any of his movements within the next few years. He has seizures that will likely become harder to control and his respiratory health will decline. A service dog will have a huge impact on Ezra’s quality of life. We are so thankful that 4 Paws for Ability has approved him to receive a dog.

What a service dog can do for Ezra:

·         Alert parents of seizures

·         Provide comfort

·         Calm Ezra when he is upset

·         Help improve sleep by snuggling and being present

·         Provide some mobility tasks like opening doors

·         Attend appointments with Ezra

·         Form a social bridge with other kids

·         Companionship

How the Community Can Help

It costs 4 Paws for Ability between $40,000 – $60,000 to train and properly place each service dog. Their funding model is partial payment for services, meaning they cover a portion of the cost and we as a family are responsible for a service fee of $17,000, so we are asking for your help in our efforts to raise the money needed for our son to become one of the many children benefiting from a service dog.

Donations can be made via credit card or check:

1.      Credit card donations can be made directly to 4 Paws via Mighty Cause, https://www.mightycause.com/story/4pawsforezra

2.      Credit Card payment over the phone at 4 Paws by calling 937-374-0385 Monday through Friday 9 AM to 4 PM EST, mention that your donation is for Ezra Santos.

3.      Checks can be made payable to 4 Paws for Ability with ‘Ezra Santos’ on the memo line and mailed to:

4 Paws for Ability

In Honor of Ezra Santos

207 Dayton Ave.

Xenia, Ohio 45385

Mount Pleasant, MI – Deklan Gerred is a six-year-old with autism. His parents, Brianna and Wade say he is such an adventurous, colorful, excitable, daring, compassionate, and sweet little man; with a knack for living on the wild side. While living on the wild side may sound cute, it is especially dangerous as Deklan is predominantly non-verbal. He has recently started to elope from home. His family has taken all the preventive safety measures they can but would like a helping hand, or paw, in this case.

What the Service Dog Will Do

Not being able to verbally express himself creates a lot of frustration for him and his family. Mom, Brianna states, “It’s heartbreaking knowing there is so much going on in that brain of his and not many ways to get it all out. A service dog will help comfort Deklan, redirect him from self-injurious behaviors, deflect from meltdowns, provide deep pressure therapy, be tethered to him in public to keep him safe, and help find him if the unthinkable happens.

How the Community Can Help

It costs 4 Paws between $40,000-$60,000 to raise, train, and place a service dog. The families pay or raise a fee for service of $17,000. The family has raised some of the funds already but could use the community’s help to provide this lifesaving service dog and make Deklan’s dream come true. How to help:

·       Purchase a t-shirt or sweatshirt, which will make a great holiday gift:
https://www.customink.com/fundraising/deklans-service-dog-from-4pawsforability?utm_campaign=mobile-campaign-page-share&utm_content=deklans-service-dog-from-4pawsforability&utm_medium=social&utm_source=copy-link

·       Donate via credit card: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1158647194532967/

·       Donate by check: Make payable to and mail to 4 Paws for Ability, 207 Dayton Avenue, Xenia, OH 45385 and include Deklan Gerred in the memo field.

4 Paws for Ability Mission Statement

4 Paws for Ability strives to be the leading provider of service dogs for children regardless of disability as well as adult children with caregiver guardianship who cannot live independently. 4 Paws assists Veterans who have given selflessly to our country by providing service dogs which can assist with disabilities on a case by case basis as well as adults living with hearing loss, diabetes, or Alzheimer’s.

4 Paws for Ability Noteworthy Accomplishments:

·       4 Paws has placed over 1,500 service dogs around the globe over the last 22 years.

·       4 Paws was the first and is still the largest service dog agency helping kids with Autism.

·       4 Paws has received national media attention. Below is a clip of ABC World News Tonight of an Autism Assistance Dog Placement: https://www.facebook.com/WorldNewsTonight/videos/10154289918119818/?v=10154289918119818

·       4 Paws is in Episode 1 of “Dogs” on Netflix. Below is the trailer:

https://www.netflix.com/title/80191036      

Christian is a sweet ten-year-old boy who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorder when he was three. Christian has a love for life, his laugh is contagious, and his smile lights up the room. He loves all things nostalgic and has an enormous VHS collection. He loves John Wayne movies, classic cars, and trains.

Hope in a Service Dog

Christian has made much progress through his therapies, but there is still so much that is overwhelming for him. The tasks that his dog will be trained to help him with will be life changing for Christian, in and out of the home. 

Some of the things that Christian’s dog will be able to do for him: 

·         Improve his sleep at night by sleeping with him

·         Provide behavioral interventions when Christian is exhibiting repetitive or self-injurious behaviors

·         Assist in easing transitions

·         Comfort him when he is overwhelmed

·         Offer a chance to practice responsibility

·         Perform deep pressure by lying across his lap when he gets upset

·         Prevent wandering while out in public by being tethered to Christian

·         Be his friend

·         Become a social bridge

How the Community Can Help

It costs 4 Paws for Ability between $40,000 – $60,000 to train and properly place each service dog. Its funding model is partial payment for services so 4 Paws covers most of the cost; the family is responsible for a service fee of $17,000.

Donations can be made via credit card or check:

·         Credit card donations can be made directly to 4 Paws via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donate/728047834724973/

or over the phone at 4 Paws by calling 937-374-0385 Monday through Friday 9 AM to 4 PM EST.

·         Checks can be made payable to 4 Paws for Ability with Christian Stevenson on the memo line and mailed to 4 Paws for Ability, 207 Dayton Ave., Xenia, OH 45385

Alexis Spaniol is a very sweet ten-year-old girl who loves animals, enjoys playing video games, and likes listening to music. Creative, inquisitive, intelligent, compassionate, and unique are all words her mom, Heather, uses to describe Alexis.

But Alexis has experienced hardship due to her disability. Alexis has Autism and has violent meltdowns, trouble focusing on specific topics, suffers from impulse control, and has difficulty forming relationships with other people.

Mom, Heather, describes the difficulty Alexis has, “When you see your child struggling every day, it is heartbreaking. It is so hard to see the shining, unique personality of your little girl being overtaken by anxiety, uncontrollable outbursts, and self-harming behaviors such as picking and negative self-talk.”

Hope in a Service Dog

Alexis’s family believes that the addition of a service dog that has been specifically bred and trained to meet Alexis's needs will serve as a valuable therapeutic tool for Alexis's intervention, at home and school. This added support will give her the independence for everyday tasks that people take for granted. Alexis has an overwhelming love for animals. Mom, Heather, elaborates, “Sometimes social/emotional communication taught by non-human counterparts can help us grow in our understanding of the world. This is just one piece of the very difficult puzzle we are trying to
piece together for her.” Alexis has been accepted by 4 Paws for Ability to receive a professionally trained Autism Assistance dog; 4 Paws specializes in training service dogs for children with disabilities, including autism. Her dog will be trained in behavior disruption, tethering, and tracking.

How the Community Can Help

It will cost 4 Paws between $40,000 – $60,000 to train Alexis's service dog and 4 Paws asks that each family raises $17,000 of that cost.  Insurance does not cover the cost of a service dog nor do local or state government programs provide any sort of financial assistance in obtaining a service dog for Alexis.

If you would like to help this young girl receive a life-saving service dog, there are three ways to help:

Attend a Poker Run on Saturday, September 26 at the Glacial Lakes Harley Davidson, 1000 19^th Street SE, Watertown. Registration 10:30 – 11:45 AM. Kickstands up at noon. Cost $20 per hand; 2 winning hands will be paid. Route information will be provided at registration. Food will be provided at the end of the run with a free-will offering; 50/50 tickets, table auction, t-shirts, and more will also add to the fun. Plus, a 4 Paws for Ability service dog, Wishes, will be present. HickTown Mafia will be playing after the run.

To donate by credit card, go to: https://www.facebook.com/donate/226261262074874/ or https://4pawsforability.org/donate-now/

To donate by check, make payable to 4 Paws for Ability with Alexis Spaniol in the memo field and mail to 4 Paws for Ability, 207 Dayton Avenue, Xenia, OH 45385.

Thank you for your consideration.