Dravet’s Syndrome holds family in its grip!
Written by Marvel McAmmond
Didsbury, Alberta, Canada – May 5, 2009 Seven-year-old Dawsyn Harke of Didsbury, Alberta has a rare form of Epilepsy called Dravet’s Syndrome. The seizures Dawsyn endures, often many per day, have caused a variety of developmental delays that make her life challenging. Dawsyn has very little awareness of personal safety. She has no concept of the danger of traffic, deep water, or the ill intentions of a stranger. She also has a fascination with water and a tendency to be an “escape artist,” and generally does not respond to her parent’s calls. Combine these traits and you have a recipe for disaster!
Dawsyn has been given the opportunity to receive a Seizure Alert Assistance dog from 4 Paws for Ability. This seizure assistance dog will be Dawsyn’s companion and will be specifically trained to alert her parents when she has a seizure. Currently, Dawsyn’s parents have to provide constant supervision. Having an Assistance Dog will greatly enhance Dawsyn’s independence by allowing her to play in her yard or her bedroom without being shadowed by an adult. The dog will also sleep with Dawsyn and alert her parents of night-time seizures which will enable Dawsyn to return to her own bedroom instead of sleeping with her parents.
An important facet of the dog’s training will be the ability to track. If Dawsyn were to find an opportunity to wander off out of her parents’ sight, the dog will quickly follow her trail and lead her parents to her, even if she has been missing for quite a while.
The dog will also be trained to comfort Dawsyn, help her calm herself when she is frustrated and discourage her from dangerous activities. It will also act as a “social magnet,” making it easier for other children to approach Dawsyn and make friends. Dawsyn’s developmental delays and premature behaviors tend to cause other children to avoid her rather than seeking her out; a furry companion would change that instantly, perhaps helping her to blossom socially in ways that would otherwise not be possible.
Finally, but by no means least importantly, the dog will do what any other dog might do — love and be loved, loyally and unconditionally.
4 Paws for Ability is one of only a handful of organizations that will even place a dog with such a young child. Many agencies will not place service dogs with children or in homes where there are other pets; 4 Paws has no eligibility requirements beyond a physician’s statement that the person requesting a service dog has a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Many trainers have long waiting lists with a wait of up to five years, but 4 Paws reduces that waiting time by having the parents work with them to fundraise the up to $13,000 US needed to cover the cost of the extensive training. Their website states: “We felt that there were many, very capable people with disabilities and their friends and families, who would rather spend time helping us fundraise so they could then get a dog, than to sit on a 2-5 year waiting list for a ‘free’ one.”
4 Paws for Ability is a recognized leader in training assistance dogs, and pioneered training assistance dogs with tracking ability. 4 Paws trains a variety of assistance dogs, including (but not limited to) seizure assistance, mobility assistance, hearing ear, and autism assistance dogs. As of January 30, 2009, over 400 teams have graduated from 4 Paws.
As with most of 4 Paws’ animals, Dawsyn’s dog will probably be rescued from a shelter. Approximately 50 percent of their dogs come from shelters. Some of them have been saved only days before they were scheduled to be put down, and have gone on to transform the lives of the children with whom they have been placed. 4 Paws uses any dog that can pass the medical, physical, obedience and training requirements, regardless of breed. This creates a mutually beneficial relationship — 4 Paws will be bringing freedom and independence to a dog in need, and the dog in turn will bring freedom and independence to Dawsyn.
The 4 Paws website states: “We have discovered a magic that exists between children and dogs, a magic that can become a life-saving miracle for a child paired with one of our assistance dogs.”
To find out more about Dawsyn’s journey, visit www.doodlebugdawsyn.blogspot.com
For more information on 4 Paws for Ability, go to 4 Paws for Ability
Donations can be sent to:
4 Paws for Ability
253 Dayton Ave.
Xenia, Ohio 45385
If you choose to make a donating to 4 Paws for Ability, please indicate that your donation is specifically for Dawsyn Harke on the memo line of your cheque or on the PayPal note for online donations.
Contact: Marvel McAmmond
Email: marvelmc@telus.net
Webpage: www.doodlebugdawsyn.blogspot.com
Note: I highly endorse 4 Paws for Ability as a source for extremely well-trained service dogs. The organization is sound and its goals exceptional. Judy Vorfeld.