Multipurpose Assistance Dog will help Paul Wallace overcome disabilities
Hi! My name is Paul Wallace. I am a very active kid. I enjoy lots of things from basketball to Taekwondo from cooking to chorus! I like to tell jokes and tease my Mom.
Another thing about me is that I have special needs because I have Bipolar Disorder, and I also have Anxiety.
My bipolar disorder is very hard to control, and sometimes I feel very scared. My moods go in a roller coaster ride up and down. Sometimes I get really angry. I'm not even sure why I'm so angry, but I just want to hit and kick or throw things to get the angry feelings to leave me alone.
Sometimes when I am really overwhelmed, I run away. I feel like having a service dog would really help me in times like these. Plus if I get too far away, having a dog that could 'track' would help my mom find me right away!
I go to a special school program with only a few kids in my class. The teachers are awesome and really do a good job to help me have successful days at school. My school is very supportive of the idea of a service dog to be with me at school to help me through the day.
I am different from the other kids, but I still try to fit in. I think that the service dog would be a true friend. This dog will be a dream come true for me.
This is my mom. I live with her at home. She does a good job of taking care of me and being very patient when I am having a hard day, when I get really upset, or when I'm anxious and afraid to leave the room where she is. I feel like having the service dog would be a benefit to my mom and to me because I could become more independent and l could feel safer and not as worried sometimes.
It is hard to be a kid with Bipolar and Anxiety because most people don't understand how it can make me feel and act. They don't realize that these feelings and actions are not in my control, and that I don't want to have to struggle with this every day - all the time.
Note from Judy: 4 Paws for Ability is an amazing nonprofit organization located in Xenia, Ohio. It provides highly trained service dogs in many areas, but does require that approved families raise funds to train the dog. Please consider this child whose life will change significantly upon receiving an assistance dog. Read the testimonials. Reading them could change your life. It changed mine.