Carol Considers Mobility Assist Dog Reva “Too Good to be True”

By Jessica Kellogg - 

Carol has a presence that can’t be ignored. For many years, her vibrance and enthusiasm allowed her to thrive as a training director of a group home for people with Alzheimer’s. She eventually traveled all over the state to provide Person-Centered training to other caregivers. Then, in 2015, she started having pain and was on her journey to losing her mobility. Carol’s degenerative joint and disc disease got progressively worse until she could no longer work. “The rug got pulled out from under me. I had this cool job helping people with disabilities. Then guess who got a disability herself.” 

Carol started to retreat into herself, and because her condition was not outwardly visible, it was hard to explain to friends and family what she was dealing with. “Ultimately, I can’t bend or twist my spine, and I have a lot of chronic pain and weakness. I came home, and I just hurt. There were many things I couldn’t do—life things, like doing the laundry, cleaning the house, getting myself ready. I always needed to ask for help, and that’s a lousy way to live and feel. It’s humiliating. And it starts to weigh heavily on you and your relationships. So I just started staying home more and more.” 

Carol’s pain therapist first introduced her to the idea of getting an assistance dog and put her in touch with a client with an assistance dog. Carol says, “I knew there were mobility dogs, but I had no idea what an assistance dog could do.” Despite the hope Carol now felt, it was “terrifying” to put in the application. “I didn’t know if I could get an assistance dog. Was I disabled enough?” But it was her pain therapist who gave her the final push of encouragement, saying, “You are so deserving and need this so badly.” 

Once her application was accepted, Carol became hopeful. “I started to dream that this thought could become my reality,” she admits. Yet, despite the hope, she still had butterflies. She had become used to being the person who didn’t “look disabled,” and now the whole world was going to know. “My family didn’t even know everything. I had a big truth to tell the world; everyone would find out.” 

Soon, though, her “butterflies” metamorphosized into a yellow Lab cross named Reva. The two had an instant connection, and as they trained together, Carol only became more excited. “She helps me all day, every day.” Reva retrieves items Carol drops, which lessens her risk of falling. But Reva’s favorite task may be doing laundry. “I’ve caught her surveying the laundry basket to see what we have to wash.”

Reva is also helping Carol stay active. “I used to love going for walks, but I had become afraid to go alone. But with Reva, we’re getting outside to walk nearly every day, and it's so wonderful. I’m slow, but she’s okay with that.” With Reva’s assistance, Carol has even started leaving the house to see friends and go to coffee shops again. “My challenges are still here, but she’s there too, always by my side, to help me.” Reva even allowed Carol to travel to Disney World with her family. “It was paradise. She opens the world to a lot of new adventures.” 

As someone who loves music and dance but no longer really can, Carol introduced Reva to different musical styles. She says, “I can’t bend or twist, but now I have a dance partner who can dance with me in our way.”

Although this duo has only been partnered for months, Reva’s impact on Carol’s life is already apparent. “The future already looks a whole lot brighter,” says Carol. “I’ve already experienced things I didn’t think I could do again.” 

Carol exudes gratitude for the opportunities Reva provides. “I wish I could personally thank each of the volunteers and Can Do Canines staff. They give from their hearts, and they raised and trained an amazing dog who has changed my life. I will do my best to pay it forward because this organization does amazing work for many. We must say it loud and proud: what they're doing is too good to be true.”

 

Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:
Whelping Home — Rick and Patti Dougherty
Raisers — Kelly Schwarzhoff
Special Thanks — Jackson Correctional Institution