Help a Boy get his dog

I received this in an email this morning. Our therapy dog group will be making a donation, but wanted to pass along to others as well, if anyone is interested in helping.

http://www.thenewsmessenger.com/apps...plate=printart
Article published Dec 1, 2007
Benefit to help boy get his dog
By CYNTHIA L. JACOBY
Local desk editor
OAK HARBOR --Nicholas Fish's parents want to get a dog for their son.
But this isn't a typical Christmas wish for Don and Susan Fish of Oak Harbor. Four-year-old Nicholas is in need of a seizure response dog in his battle to help control the effects of three diseases --cerebral palsy, epilepsy and asthma.

The canine is a full-service dog that would be with Nicholas all the time helping alert caregivers to a seizure, keep Nick comfortable during a seizure and also to assist with Nick's mobility issues.

After much research, it was decided the best place to purchase such a dog is "4 Paws For Ability Inc." in Xenia, according to friend Nancy Keller. The animal costs about $13,000 to cover the cost of training these specially trained dogs.

If the $13,000 is raised by the end of the year, Nicholas most likely will be able to begin the 2008-09 school year with his trained service dog. That is, training would begin in early 2008, and the Fish family could have the canine at their home around July, when Nicholas is due to celebrate his fifth birthday, Susan Fish said.

As of Nov. 15, the tally was $5,406.

"This is about the only organization that we could find that would train a dog for someone less than 5 years old," she explained. And in those other cases, the waiting list is two to five years long.

Nicholas is prone to seizures on a regular basis. And they have lasted as long as one to three hours. The family recently learned he is not eligible for brain surgery and will most likely have to deal with his epilepsy the rest of his life. Having the dog would help make adults aware sooner of the boy's needs and medication could be administered.

The dog would be trained using a T-shirt worn by Nicholas when he had experienced a seizure as well as another T-shirt worn when he hadn't experienced a seizure.

"It's really amazing what they do," she said.

"As he gets older, he will be able to go to sleep overs. He will be able to go to camp, all the things other kids do," said his mother.

The toddler, who walks with the use of cane and walker, attends preschool at the Riverview complex. In a few years, his parents say he will go to school R.C. Waters Elementary in Benton-Carroll-Salem School system.

Susan Fish is grateful for all the support the family has had learning to cope with the illnesses.

"We have had bake sales. His baby sitter is going to be selling hot dogs at the Community IGA in Oak Harbor this Saturday. The church is helping out. There are just so many people," she said.

She lauded the free Early Intervention Program through the Ottawa County Health Department that is administered through the MRDD program here.

"There's just not a good way to describe how we feel. We feel blessed. We feel loved. We are flattered that so many people are involved in making this happen," she said.

If you would like to help by making a donation, send your tax-deductible donation payable directly to:

4 Paws For Ability Inc.

253 Dayton Ave.

Xenia, OH 45385

Be sure to write "Nicholas Fish" on the memo portion of your check.