With with millions of acres of pure woods, Riley’s life is at risk
From mother, Maggie Van Vliet: Our son Riley is the coolest little boy and he deserves to be the free spirit he so desires to be. Riley lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder, GERD, and a bleeding disorder. He is five years old and has a twin sister, Brooke, and a little sister Lindsay. Riley can locate and name any country in the world on a map. He has been reading since he was 2 years old. He plays the piano and loves music. He talks about playing the oboe and is learning the violin. He amazes us everyday with the knowledge and his skills.
He has many wonderful talents but staying safe is not one of them. This dog would not only help him in his quest for independence but it will help to ease the huge amount of worrying and fear we have for his safety. Riley does not understand the dangers everyday life can bring with it.
We live in a very remote community in the northwest corner of Alberta, Canada. We are in the middle of the boreal forest with millions of acres of pure woods. We fear Riley could walk into the woods; this dog would help to track him if this ever happened. Riley loves to ride in mini vans and has jumped right in a strange van before to take a ride with what should have been a stranger to him. The trouble is that to Riley everyone is a friend!
I am from Ohio and my family is still there, so we travel home as much as we can. We also fly once a month to Edmonton, Alberta for medical appointments and therapy for Riley. Busy international airports can be a sensory overload for him and a danger zone also. We believe Riley’s dog would help to make his traveling experience smoother for him. We are thankful for what ever help you can bring to our quest.
From father, Norman Van Vliet: As a father of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I have found it challenging as my son grows up to keep him safe. We have spent, and continue to spend, many hours with flash cards, verbal and written cues, rewards, and pretty much everything you can think of to try to get Riley to understand what is a good choice and what is a bad choice.
He does not understand how his actions may result in a safety related issue. Riley has gone out the back door in minus 20 degree Celsius weather with no coat or boots on, he has run out in the middle of the street many times without knowing if it was safe to do so, and will run away from me if he sees something cool at the mall. He is getting so big now that I can hardly pick him up to carry him anymore when he does these types of things.
He is a big five-year-old boy and is about 75 pounds. Imagine trying to carry a boy like that who is trying to fight you to go some place that he really wants to see! Having a service dog in our family will help Riley so much. The dog will be trained to be not only Riley’s little buddy, but will be able to help keep him calm, track him if he gets away from us, and keep him from getting into an unsafe situation. We can’t wait until the dog comes!
If you can find it in your heart to help us out in raising some funding for his dog, we would be forever grateful. We also appreciate any kind comments and thank you for your support. Please visit Riley’s Blog at www.riley4paws.blogspot.com or email us moosling@telus.net
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.