Amy and I had the pleasure of presenting to Three Fires Council, Boy Scouts of America Cub Scout Pack 312 at Freeman tonight! Helping them earn their Aware & Care Badge. She spoke to about 15-20 adults and scouts and shared with her audience how she is like them in some ways, but different in other ways. She shared how she can waterski and walk, but how she can't drive. To fulfill the badge requirement Amy also shared all about Canine Companions for Independence from the breeding, raising and training process to the placement with a recipient. She also did a mini demonstration of my retrieval skills and showed them how I can "speak" on command. For more information on the things I'm trained to help Amy do, visit our about us page. For information on how you can help Canine Companions visit our become involved page.
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8-10-14 Day seven: One week down and our only day off. This was when Portland's comedic personality started to emerge! We took him out to play and when I first threw the toy, he took off running, then I threw it a few more times and with each throw, the speed with which he ran to the toy decreased and on the "last" one, he looked at the toy and looked back at me as if to say, "you want me to go get that again, I think not." At one point, he looked at a water bottle we had, and when my mom poured a little out, he drank right from the stream; So funny, he loves water! We also bonded as I brushed him, then we went on a short trip to this cute garden center. Later that night, some of my classmates and I had a game night at our hotel while our dogs took a nap. It was such a fun time!
8-5-14 - Day two consisted of the lectures on Correction and Canine Motivators. We also practiced leash correction on a "towel" dog first and slowly eased into correcting the dogs. We worked on the commands heel, side, visit and lap. I already found myself developing relationships with the dogs attached to my wrist and felt an instant connection to one dog in particular. 8-4-14 - Made it through day one, which started out with the Orientation to the Canine and Team Training lectures. Then we started working with a “dog” at the end of the leash (middle). From there I worked with three different dogs, commanding them to sit, down, shake and let’s go. This day was hard because if they weren't doing what we asked, we had to get a trainer because we were asked not to do any type of correction with the dogs. Already each of the dogs I worked with was affectionate, attentive and laid back, but each exhibited these qualities in their own way. It sure felt good to be working with a dog again! :) 8-1-14 - Tomorrow begins another chapter in Amy and Vicki's (mom) excellent adventures! We are traveling to Ohio to not only visit our CCI family, but if all goes well, I'll bring home a new partner in Yazzen's successor. There are so many mixed emotions and unanswered questions: What will its name, gender, and breed be? What will his/her personality be like, will we get along and will I remember how to work with a dog on the end of my wrist? One thing's for sure, I'm going to try hard to keep an open mind and not be "that" girl whom doesn't want to get "that" dog this time around - because experience has shown me that things will work out the way they are meant to be. Afterall, God and Yazzen are there to make sure of it! My boy, today my heart breaks because I had to let you go. I'll miss you my boy, and I'll hate not having you here with me, but you will always be with me, because you have my heart and I have our memories. When I first got you from Canine Companions for Independence nearly nine years ago, I was skeptical.You were so stubborn and you refused to wag your tail. I guess it was only fitting that a stubborn woman should be matched with a dog who was just as stubborn. During team our bond strengthened and before long your stubborn streak dissipated and your tail began to wag. I'll miss your wagging tail. You eventually became the heart and soul of Team Chally. I will miss the way you worked so hard to please me and how when you didn't know what I wanted, you'd bring me everything you could get your mouth on, just because you wanted to see me happy. As a result, you'd make me smile, laugh or both. You had a way of making me smile or laugh a lot! Thank you for that and thank you giving your life to make every day of my life better. You have been a true Godsend, a truly unexpected and needed gift from above. He broke the mold when He made you. You are one in a billion, not just a million! Thank you for being my life-line to independence, my friend, my constant companion, the one who never my side. Thank you for being the best big brother to two little dogs who will miss you dearly too. My boy, I'd give anything to keep you here with me, but that would be selfish and you deserve better then that. You deserve a life free of sickness and pain. So sleep well my boy, rest in peace, knowing that you have done a great job, knowing that I will love you forever and I will be okay. All My Love, Amy This topic may not be suitable for young audiences. Parental discretion is advised. 5-20-14 - (update from Amy) It's not good news, the cancer has spread to his spleen. I have made a decision, but I am choosing to keep it private, sharing only w/ family and friends. I want to thank all of you for your support it means so much to us all. Please Shop and share 50% of proceeds will go towards his medical bills, If you would like to contribute to the fund w/o making a purchase please send us an email and we'll send you our address. Please pray for all of us, this is much harder then I ever imagined. 5-19-14 - (update from Amy) We're back from VCA, they took samples from spots on spleen, but everything else looked normal for his age. We'll have results tomorrow. She said he could play once it starts to shrink from being on the steroid. I am still unsure about treatment. I'm concerned about Quality of Life, I don't want to keep him w/me for selfish reasons, but I don't feel right about putting him to sleep when he's still wanting to eat, drink and play. Aside from the cost of treatment, I am really concerned about the side effects given his age and the fact that he has a sensitive stomach as it is. I truly want what's best, but don't know what that is. With treatment his odds are about 60% but there are no guarantees we wouldn't be right back here in 6 mo. or less. Please Shop and share 50% of proceeds will go towards his medical bills. Please pray for all of us, this is much harder then I ever imagined. 5-15-14 - The mass cell is back and its not an easy fix this time. It is under My right armpit and is the size of a grapefruit, b/c of the location, surgery is not an option. The vet is recommending a scan to make sure its not involving my organs. Our options are chemo, targeted treatment, (neither is a guarantee) do nothing, or the alternative.I am retired now and am no longer working for my Amy. My leg's swollen and I limp, I'm tired, but in no pain. I still want to play and my tail still wags! Amy still doesn't know what she's going to do, but she has promised that whatever happens we'll face it together and she won't be selfish- she will put my needs ahead of her own, just like I have done for her for the past 8 and a half years.Help us raise funds for me and my care. I need some costly oncology visits and tests, the first of these is on Monday. Amy's on a fixed income, 50% of profits will go to this cause. Shop and share. 1-4-14 - I was very nervous walking into the vet's this morning; I did an unsolicited lap to Amy's mom who was sitting in the corner of the exam room. Turns out I was nervous for nothing, my doctor said all of my Lipomas (benign (noncancerous), soft easily manipulated, freely movable, relatively slow-growing, fat-filled tumors located in my undercarriage, the chest/abdomen) have stayed the same, appear normal and are not disconcerting. My epithelial neoplasm has also remained the same and we didn't find evidence of additional MCT's, which means the Benadryl’s doing its job! Also good, I lost between 6.5 and 7lbs, since we started trying to get my weight down and I'm now at a healthy weight. For now, Amy decided not to do the complete cancer screening...We'll have another check-up in six months and hopefully all will still be well. Yay for us! 8/9/13 - The most recent biopsy results of the mass on my left cranial neck, revealed a benign epithelial neoplasm (noncancerous mass of tissue resulting from an abnormal growth or division of cells), such as a Trichoblastoma (abnormal growth of the hair follicle) or Adenoma (abnormal growth of the hair follicle gland which helps to lubricate the skin) with mild Anisocytosis and Anisokaryosis (variation in the size of the nuclei of the red blood and other cells that are present). This is good news for us though I’ll need to be monitored to make sure the size of the neoplasm does not change (these masses can increase in size and cause pain as they grow). On another related note, Amy continues to treat my incision site with cold compresses and has decided to start me on a Benadryl regimen for my MCT. she’s also considering a complete cancer screening just as a precautionary measure. That’s all for now, we will continue to keep you up-to-date on any new developments. As always we thank you for your continued support and prayers for healing. 8/5/13 - The jury is still out with regard to the lump on my jowl as the first biopsy results came back inconclusive and my doctor had to perform a second biopsy of the site. She also removed my stitches and drained my incision site again. We have decided to forgo putting in a drain for now and Amy has to continue to treat the area with cold compresses. I feel so much better now that my stitches are out, but I wish that my warden (Amy) would let me play, but my doctor asked that we avoid running and jumping for at least another week. These two are torturing me, they won't let me have any fun, but I know it's for my own good. Thanks for your continued support and please continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers. TTFN - ta ta for now :) 8/1/13 - Met with my doctor again because I developed a seroma or a swelling of the incision resulting from the accumulation of fluid under the skin (not unusual after surgery) which she drained and told Amy to treat with cold compresses until my stiches come out Monday. Monday can’t come fast enough, I have been a bad patient and a disappointed one at that, all we can do is walk when all I want to do's play. She says we can’t, no matter how sad my eyes look. Then I have been jumping on the couch and I'm not supposed to do any jumping right now plus I'm not allowed on their couch at least not while they are home, but when the cat’s away...) The good news is my MCT results came back on the low end of the grade II spectrum and it appears they got it all thanks to my doctors efforts during surgery. However, I may not be out of the woods yet, because when I was getting my incision looked at, they found a hard, pea-sized lump underneath the skin of my jowl, that they biopsied and we hope to have the results Monday. I’m not worried and Amy’s trying not to be, because I am doing so well, but prayers would still be appreciated. 7/26/13 - I went in for my 5 hr. Lumpectomy and dental cleaning where my tumor came off clean and there was no muscle involvement. My doctor went deep and gave me a long incision (at least 2 inches) to try and get rid of all my cancer. I came through my surgery with flying colors, but I did whine and pace a lot in recovery and after, which is common for dogs that are bonded to their owners. Amy and I share a bond so special that I came to find her to say “see you soon,” all on my own and I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t going with me. 7/25/13 - The results of the biopsy revealed that the mass was a malignant mast cell tumor (MCT) that I’d need to have removed. These are very common in dogs, accounting for approximately 20% of all skin tumors in dogs. They can arise from any skin site on the body, and can have a variety of appearances. Amy discovered mine one day as she had me roll on to my belly so she could perform a routine check of things. 7/22/13 - I went in for my annual physical and to have a 1.5 to 2 cm skin mass (which was pink, hairless and round) on the right side of my chest biopsied. 1-1-14 - We want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! 2013 was filled with highs and lows for us, but we ended the year on a high note and we hope you did too! In June we went 6 for 6 in public access testing! We are a certified Service Dog team from now until we recertify in 2015. In July I battled cancer and am doing well. Through it all, I continued working and raising awareness like a champ! I have my six mo. check-up in three days, just to make sure all is well. In August we attended the annual Day at the Races fundraising event and had a fun day with family and friends! In September we started fundraising for the DogFest Walk 'N Roll event. On October 7, Amy started working on a consistent basis again for the first time since June 17, 2010! She's a Youth Service Coordinator for the AIM Center for Independent Living in Dupage County. For the most part, she loves her job, but some days we both wish she was busier. Some days when we go to work, I don't even move from my bed, but then other days it's get, give, get, give over and over because Amy keeps dropping stuff! The only downside to her job is that I don't get to play nearly enough because of her schedule and also the weather. We are both very happy to be working again, although I never really stopped! During the month of October we attended the DogFest Walk 'N Roll and spent the day with family, friends and my puppy raiser whom we hadn't seen since graduation. With the help of very generous individuals, friends and family we raised $ 2,937.00 for Canine Companions. Not much happened in November or December, except that I that I turned 10 years old and got a week off of work when Amy went to TX for Thanksgiving.
Here's to A Happy, Healthy New Year filled with good times, good cheer and plenty of chances to play! Team Chally 11-1-13 - We made goal! We were the top fundraisers, raising $2,762.00 for a team total of $2,937.00 for Canine Companions! It's not over yet, we're still accepting donations until Monday 11/4. Donate today or join our team and get in on the action. Thanks for all the support! 10-5-13 - With 14 days left to give we are halfway to goal. I've opened so many doors for Amy, please help us open the door to independence for someone else. Donate today or join our team and get in on the action. Thanks for all the support! 9-17-13 - The NCR volunteers for the Chicago DogFest need your help. As of 9-13 we are still looking for a 1) business to donate tables and chairs for the event. If you know of any company or organization willing to make a 100% donation that would definitely help with Canine Companions $20,000.00 fundraising goal. 2) Face-painter who will donate his/her services. It was a hit last year, and we hope to do it again this year. 3) Business(es) to donate giveaway items for our gift bags, along with gift baskets and items for our raffles and costume prizes. 4) A canopy with sides for Snoopy to rest and have privacy when he's not doing photo ops. 5) Business to donate DogFest T-Shirts. It would be nice to have a remembrance of our 20th year! Finally, exhibitor(s) - If you have a business you'd like to promote, the DogFest is a great place to do it and the Naperville Park District will permit rescues/non-profits to put out a donation jar. However, vendors still cannot sell anything. If you or anyone you know can help fulfill any of these needs, please contact us via our e-mail and we will connect you to our DogFest Co-chair. Thanks! Now for a Team Chally fundraising update, thanks to your support we have raised $850.00 and have $1,150.00 to go. We still need you to donate or join our team and collect pledges. Ask your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to support CCI and the work they do. With your continued support I know we can reach and maybe even exceed our goal. If you haven't donated yet, we still need you to do so. Thanks so much for your support and keep the donations coming! ;) 9-2-13 - Ya'll are awesome! In the last 24 hrs you've helped us increase our donations by $100.00. To date we have raised $365.00 and have $1,635 to go. We still need your help, Amy'd like to reach the halfway point within the next four weeks. We need you to join our team and collect pledges. Ask your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to support CCI and the work they do. With your continued support I know we can reach and maybe even exceed our goal. If you haven't donated yet, we still need you to do so. Thanks so much for your support and keep the donations coming! ;) 9-1-13 - To date we have raised $265.00 and have $1,735 to go. With your continued support I know we can reach and maybe even exceed our goal. If you haven't donated yet, we still need you to do so. We're still looking for a few good men and women to join our team and help us with our fundraising efforts.You can help us out by joining our team and collecting pledges. Ask your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to support CCI and the work they do. 8-30-13 - To date we have raised $225.00 and have $1,775 to go. With your continued support I know we can reach and maybe even exceed our goal. If you haven't donated yet, we still need you to do so. We're still looking for a few good men and women to join our team and help us with our fundraising efforts.You can help us out by joining our team and collecting pledges. Ask your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to support CCI and the work they do. 8-23-13 - A fundraising update: Amy's link to her personal page has been updated. To those who made donations prior to this update, thank you. However, please contact us via our e-mail, with your donation amount, so that she can receive credit for your donation and be eligible to win the prize(s) that correspond with her grand total raised. To date we have raised $200.00 and have $1,800 to go. With your continued support I know we can reach and maybe even exceed our goal. If you haven't donated yet, we still need you to do so and If you want to get involved in the fundraising effort, you can help us out by joining our team and collecting pledges. Ask your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to support CCI and the work they do. 8-13-13 - Team Chally’s walking in Canine Companions DogFest Walk ‘n Roll again this year because we love dogs, and we believe in Canine Companions for Independence. We'll join other dogs and their owners for a day of fun and festivities. This pet friendly event features a 2-mile pledged walk route with trick-or-treat stops along the way, a raffle and a costume contest for both humans and dogs. Leading up to the event we’re raising money to support Canine Companions and we need your help. If you've been around us at all or visited this site you know that the impact CCI and their dogs make on the lives of people with disabilities is incredible, but what you may not know is that CCI trains and places their $45,000 dogs completely free of charge to a recipient in need and they do so without the help of government funding, relying only on fundraisers and the generous support of people like you. With your help, we raised $1,394 for CCI at this event last year. Please consider helping us raise money once again, to help give someone else the gift of independence. Help us get to our fundraising goal by donating online at Amy's personal page. If you do the giving, we'll do the walking so we can get more of these amazing Canine Companions assistance dogs into the lives of those who need them. As always any donation you make to CCI is tax deductible. Thank you for your continued support of CCI and team Chally! If you want to get involved in the fundraising effort, you can help us out by joining our team and collecting pledges. Ask your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to support CCI and the work they do. Remember to mark your calendars for Saturday, October 19th from 10-2pm at the Naperville Riverwalk Grand Pavilion. We'll be there giving a demonstration of our working commands. Today Amy and I had the pleasure of giving a demonstration of my working commands to a group of women at a local church. She started out the demonstration by showing them how I could carry things, tug off a pair of socks placed on her hands (how a graduate who needs their dog to tug off their stocks would begin to train the command) and get her seatbelt out from behind her wheel and hand it to her. She said she discovered that I could do that last one by accident, but really as with any other command she has me do, it was discovered out of necessity. Amy was home alone one day and her seatbelt had fallen down beyond her reach, she thought to herself, “oh crap, how my going to get this now?” Then she thought, duh, have your dog do it! She called me in to the room and said, “Yazzen get” pointing my snout in the general direction of the belt, then she told me to “hold” until she could get her hand around the belt, then she told me to “give.” From that moment on, getting the seatbelt became something that I could do for her and she doesn’t have to tell me anything special other than “get”.
Amy also spoke a little about her life before me and said that she will never forget the time(s) when she had to go to the restroom all the way across campus, down to a basement where her cell phone never got good reception. She remembers telling her aunt “okay I am going to the restroom, if you don’t hear from me or see me in 20 minutes come rescue me because I have either fallen or I can’t get out of the room. Before Amy had received me, one of the things she had asked CCI to ensure that her dog knew how to do was pull open a heavy door. In team training we worked on tugging open the heaviest door they had. We figured that if I could open that door than I could open any door. Shortly after team training, we went over to the University and practiced on the restroom door to see if I could be successful in opening it and I was. This was a huge moment for us and for Amy who would no longer have to wait on someone else to come and rescue her from situations where she needed help because I would be there to rescue her and she could become more independent than she had ever thought possible, changing her life for the better. I am happy to report that Team Chally is 6 for 6 in CCI’s biannual Assistance Dogs International (ADI) public access certification test! This means we will be together in public for at least two more years! A public access test ensures that graduate teams have appropriate levels of control with their assistance dogs in public settings. During the test, graduate teams are asked to perform a series of commands while they are graded on their performance. The commands could be something as simple as a “get,” to a more complex sequence of commands where graduates have their canine partners assist them in completing a mock purchase.
Now for my top 5 things overheard or done while at a local mall: 1. Random people coming up to perform a drive-by pet or to pay a compliment to Amy that went something like this “what a beautiful dog.” At one point, there were so many people Amy’s mom joked with the trainer “Did you plan this?” We knew some of people were planted, as they looked too familiar to us, but even the trainer admitted that he could not have planned it the way it happened…For the second time in our six public access tests, Amy had someone come up to pet me just as I was about to pick up an object. This time, Amy was not afraid I would stop working, if I heard the word don’t. So, she politely said to the woman, “Please do not pet my dog, he is working right now.” The woman appeared shocked and Amy did not want to seem rude, but it had to be said. 2. (A customer saying to a cashier) “They can have dogs here? The cashier replying “Yes they can, if they need them, I think she must be blind.” (Yet, I’m pretty sure she saw Amy driving her motorized chair). 3. (A girl around 10) “Wow, you can bring a dog here? Mom, we should buy a puppy and bring it here.” 4. (A woman walking behind Amy, who didn’t know she was there, stating in a loud, boisterous voice) “You have a beautiful dog there.” Startled, Amy replied, “Thank you,” while trying to hide the fact that she nearly jumped out of her skin. (CCI does train hearing dogs who alert partners to key sounds by making physical contact such as nudging the leg or arm. Doorbells, an alarm clock, someone calling a name or a smoke alarm are among the many sounds they are trained to recognize and respond to). Amy however, does not need this assistance. 5. (A dad saying to his son, as they walked by us) “The answer is no,” then looking to his wife to make sure she had his hand. Stating that it says right on my vest, “Please do not pet, Yazzen is working.” Kudos to that dad! Amy wishes more people would learn to read my vest before they conduct their drive-by pets. If you read my post about my name, you know that it's in my nature (and my name) to try new things. Fly Dogs was an agility class I tried a little over one year ago. What Follows is my recollection of those events: 2-23-12 My first session with Amy was so much fun and the trainers were great! They helped Amy & I and were patient when we messed up or didn't know what to do. And boy, did I mess up or not know what to do, though not exactly. You see while practicing the "find it" command there were times where I'd find my food successfully but then also pick up the containers and bring them to Amy. Then there were other times when I couldn't find it as easily, but I still wanted to please Amy so I'd bring her whatever I could find, hoping I had found the right thing. What can I say, you might be able to take the boy out of his work mode, but you can't take the work mode out of the boy! Everyone could not help but LOL! I know that with time, practice and patience I'll master Agility, Nose work, Tricks, Treibball and Flyball! As fun as last night was, the thing that we appreciated the most was the trainers and their desire to ensure that what they are teaching me to do would not interfere with my ability to be an effective Service Dog. 3-1-12 This week I was re-introduced to the "find it" command only this time instead of finding food, I had to find the tennis ball with the scent of vanilla on it. Again, there were times where I'd find "nilla" successfully, but then there were other times when I couldn't decide which ball I was supposed to get, so I'd try to pick up both at the same time. We also practiced some Treiball again. Treiball is a positive-reinforcement; competitive sport which originated in Germany and entered sanctioned competition in 2008. Similar to sheep herding trials, the dog must herd and drive large exercise balls into a soccer goal. Amy and I continued practicing touching an exercise ball with my nose and performing the directional commands "away" (where I leave Amy, turn to the right and come back) and "go by" (where I leave Amy, turn to the left and come back). These are the hardest commands for me; because not only do I sometimes have trouble with my right and left, but I don't work off leash or part from Amy's left side much, unless at home, so it's hard to understand what she wants me to do. We ended Treiball with Amy trying to get me to "push" the ball around our area. For some reason I was struggling with it and at one point, when I had finally pushed the ball off the Frisbee that was holding it, I proceeded to bring the Frisbee to Amy! I have to admit Treiball went much better last week. The night ended with agility, the easiest task for me. We again practiced jumps, but instead of practicing "tire" again I was introduced to "tunnel." I liked the tunnel and was intrigued. In fact, when it was time to "jump" I kept looking back to the tunnel! All and all it was a fun night and I can't wait to go back next week and maybe try my paw at Flyball. 3-8-12 This week was so FUN! I was more relaxed and got to practice Flyball, Treiball, Scent work and Agility. Flyball is a sport in which teams of dog's race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring loaded pad, and then head back to their handlers while carrying the ball. Since it was my first time, we just worked on getting me use to the box by having me go "away" from Amy to retrieve a treat being held by the trainer directly in front of the box. The trainers thought they might have to do more work desensitizing me with regard to the box, but I wasn't afraid at all. In fact, when Amy first sent me "away" instead of turning in front of the box to get my treat from the trainer, I went behind the box and found where the balls were held. From that point on we practiced with a ball instead of a treat. I also did better with Treiball. This week we continued practicing touching an exercise ball with my nose and performing the directional command "away" (where I leave Amy, turn to the right and come back). This week they fashioned a coral for the ball which made it easier for me to know where to go and what to do. However I still can't perform these commands independent from the trainer and my kibble. I also continued working on finding "nilla." I was only working with my nilla ball this week and still struggling to go find it. Because I have such a hard time finding a ball, even in play, if I don't see where it lands and because I was struggling with finding "nilla" Amy and the trainer were wondering if I have been trained not to rely on my nose? The final rotation of the night was agility and we continued with the commands "tunnel" and "jump." It was a great night that ended with my favorite game, fetch! 4-18-12 Class was so much fun because we were the only ones there (with the trainers of course)! The night's sole focus was agility. Amy and the trainers can always count on me for comedic relief.Last night my favorite thing to try was to get to Amy and my ball by doing anything but jumping, or jumping while running to get the ball, then walking back and side stepping the hurdle because I already had the ball. I thought I was pretty smart, but then Amy and the trainers got smarter and they had one ball for me while going and one for me while coming back, so I'd run to both ends. Amy likes to tease me with my ball sometimes, (like when she uses it to demonstrate how I won't go to it in stay, until given the release command) but last night she also played with me! Then it was back to work on agility for the remainder of the night and once I got reacquainted with "jump”, "tire" and "tunnel" we worked up to chaining all three commands in sequence, using a tennis ball as my motivator. Oh what a night! 4-25-12 It was another fun night at Class! We focused on agility and Treiball. I am finally starting to make the connection and understand what "jump," "tire" and "tunnel mean, though I'll admit that I'll sometimes cut corners or refuse if I don't get or if I already have my motivator; I'm no dummy! The night ended with Treiball and working on "push" without the directional commands, I performed so well, I was rewarded with my favorite thing, a game of fetch! Jumping the hurdles Going thru the "Tire" Going thru the tunnel. They had a "treat" at both ends, so that I could find my way out! Practicing nose/sent work. I had to find what was hidden using only my nose! I'll be the first to admit I wasn't good at this. Who would've thought Amy would find yet another use for the "push" comand, the Triball. Have you ever felt different? Like you don’t fit in or don’t belong? Amy has and sometimes still does. The thing about her though is that she tries her hardest to make sure her disability doesn’t define her. In fact, she hates the words crippled, handicapped or disabled. She also dislikes the word “normal,” used to describe a child who is developing correctly and doesn’t appear to have any physical challenges. In her eyes no one is normal; everyone has challenges or differences that should be embraced, not seen as a mistake or something that needs to change. In her eyes there are no MISTAKES. If you must label, Amy prefers being called disABLEd because at least that term has the word able in it.
Why am I sharing this? A little over one month ago, Amy and I had the pleasure of going to one of our local schools for their diversity day, sharing the message that we may look different, but we are not all that different. Okay, maybe I am but she’s not. The kids learned that she can swim, ride a bike, and water ski. Can you water ski? The kids also learned how I help Amy as she put me through the paces of picking items up from the floor; carrying her lunch box and pulling open a door. I did a good job and I made the kids laugh at the way I stretched before I picked up every item Amy dropped on the floor; she was not amused, but I thought it was funny :)! Amy got me back for my behavior when she called a student down to the floor and had him roll a tennis ball (my favorite toy) past me while I sat completely still and waited for her “release.” Amy likes to show people this to demonstrate how good my self-control is. The five seconds it took for her to explain how I won’t go near the ball until she tells me it’s okay to do what I want, felt like an eternity because I really wanted that ball, but it was worth it because the audience was so impressed by my patience. The ball exercise also gave Amy the opportunity to teach an important lesson in assistance dog etiquette, when the student pet me while he was receiving direction from her, a natural reaction, but a no, no in the world of assistance dogs. Our presentation went so well, we were asked to spend the entire day with the staff and kids to teach them as much as we could about us and about acceptance. We are so thankful for the opportunity to educate others, especially when we have such a great audience! |
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