Archives for July 2015

Holly Arnold-Rains & Mobility and Seizure Assist Dog Link After raising three children, mourning the loss of two husbands, and dealing with spinal meningitis and unmanageable seizures for most her life, it’s Holly’s turn to be cared for. That’s why Holly and Mobility and Seizure Assist Dog Link make such a great pair. Holly Arnold-Rains of St. Anthony, Minn. has a complicated history of stroke and seizures. Her symptoms have become difficult to control and manage over time and a variety of chronic issues have developed. Holly’s main problem is balance. She’s broken her wrist falling down stairs and relies …

Matthew LaMott & Austim Assist Dog Lloyd “It’s a whole new world being out there with him. In the three weeks since Lloyd came to live with us we have seen amazing things.” Christine LaMott says about her seven year-old son Matthew. Four years ago Christine’s mother called her and told her to watch a news story about Can Do Canines helping children with autism—children like Matthew. Watching carefully, she felt like they were taking a page out of her family playbook. Meltdowns, bolting away, and poor communication were all part of Christine, father Jonathan and big sister Molly’s everyday …

Collin Germundson & Autism Assist Dog Thor  They say that good things come to those who wait. And for the family of seven-year-old Collin Germundson of Detroit Lakes, Minn., their patience has been rewarded. The family first applied to Can Do Canines for an assistance dog in 2010, but Collin was only recently paired with Autism Assist Dog Thor. Diagnosed with autism, Collin can get easily frustrated. He will lie on the floor and cry or start to throw things. He has difficulty finding the words to describe his feelings and as a result acts out. One of the things …

Becky Meyers and Mobility Assist Dog Ginger Becky Meyers of Hutchinson, Minn. started experiencing symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the early 2000s. But it wasn’t until 2007 that she was officially diagnosed. Her most limiting factor is fatigue, but she has problems with balance, difficulty walking and impaired vision. As Becky’s MS progressed, the disease began to affect her job as a network analyst. The nature of her job required her to frequently walk from one end of the building to the other, which became tiresome. “I was using a scooter full-time to get around,” Becky says. “The size …

Shea Yaeger & Autism Assist Dog Kylie Having a child with autism “really makes your world small,” Carmen Gretton says. She remembers the days when she couldn’t bring her son, nine-year-old Shea Yaeger, grocery shopping or even for a walk to the park. “Even surrounded by people, Shea is not safe,” Carmen says. Shea does not understand danger and is quick to bolt away. Nonverbal, he does not answer when someone calls and is incapable of telling anyone his name. Just last year he disappeared from the family’s yard when a visitor left the gate open and was found an …