Oh what a story! Sometimes everything in the universe comes together at once to create a moment like this.
I think that you are right about the self esteem of the little boy improving. I saw a TV show the other day about a little dog that was paralyzed, and used a doggie wheelchair. He was super happy, and loved to run around. His owner used to take him to rehab centres to visit with children in wheelchairs, and the dog would make the kids so happy. One little boy said the dog was his inspriation to try harder.