Girl with ADHD, Asperger’s, & OCD needs service dog
Jillian Wallace is a bright ten-year-old girl whose outlook on life is quite different from others. At age three, she was diagnosed with A.D.H.D, O.D.D, and Aspergers Syndrome (A.S.), making her functioning at a much younger age.
How do we explain this complex, gifted child to you? She loves to color, mainly in coloring books. But she also enjoys drawing and making cards. And she’s kind of like a walking encyclopedia. For example, she loves animals, and can name many species and facts about them after reading about them once.
One of Jillian’s favorite activities is going to the Columbus Zoo. She just loves looking at all the animals. In fact, she desperately wants an animal for herself: a dog. A 4 Paws for Ability Service dog, a friend, that will be by her side all the time and snuggle down with her at night.
Jillian is a warm-hearted child who sees no one as a stranger and will run up and hug anyone who will let her. It is fun to watch her ask the mail carriers their names, and if there is a substitute, then watch out!
She has a wonderful sister, Jacklyn, who is almost 15.
So why the need for the service dog? A friend is good. Snuggling at night is good. But the main issue is safety. She constantly runs off from home.
Sometimes her mom will lock the house down and take a bath, only to discover that Jillian unlocked the door, left it open, and ran away.
Fear is a part of her mother’s life, because this bubbling little treasure doesn’t understand “running away.” A service dog will stop that from happening and provide a totally different focus.
One other thing, if you ever need to know what a TV show or commercial says, Jillian is your savior, since she memorizes catch phrases them and says them over and over.
Please contribute to the fundraising for Jillian. All donations are made to 4 Paws for Ability, and are tax free. Either send a check or pay online. Make sure to mention that the funds are for Jillian Wallace.
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.
June 6th, 2010 at 4:50 am
Thank you for your article. It makes a change to read an article that actually means something connected to Asperger’s. I’m going to bookmark your site and come back to it.