Feature Stories

Bill Monson & Mobility Assist Dog Percy Working as an auto mechanic for 25 years, Bill enjoyed his job and loved being around people. Unfortunately, there was a terrible work accident—a transmission jack broke and the transmission landed directly on Bill, bending him the wrong way and breaking his back. Bill tried to persevere and worked for five more years, despite the exacerbation of his back injury. But four back surgeries later, his doctors decided it was in Bill’s best interest to retire. Bill now uses a wheelchair to get around and stays active by fishing and making unique gifts, …

April Biever & Diabetes Assist Dog Basia When April Biever of Tomah, Wis. started the process of applying for a Diabetes Assist Dog, she could only imagine how much her life would change. “I’ve been diabetic since I was three years old,” April explains. “I have hypoglycemic unawareness, so I never know when my sugar is low.” Unfortunately, this has led to some scary situations. There were multiple times when April left her house to run an errand and became confused about where she was, or how she got there. She tried everything, including a pancreatic transplant which would hopefully …

Alisha Srock & Mobility Assist Dog Maverick Alisha Srock of New Brighton, Minn. is not one to let a challenging situation get the best of her. While she’s had cerebral palsy since birth—which equates to decreased mobility—she works each day to not let it inhibit her lifestyle. Alisha lives independently in her own apartment in a building staffed by on-call personal care assistants (PCA’s). She attends North Hennepin Community College full-time and plans to transfer to Metropolitan State University this spring to continue her coursework in elementary education. Her extroverted personality shines when she is out in public volunteering at …

Volunteer Mike Ferber and the handsome, red-vested assistance dog in training who accompanies him around town are indeed, as he says, “a walking, talking billboard” for Can Do Canines. They’re also a billboard for the Thrivent Choice program. Mike enjoys telling people about how Can Do Canines assistance dogs provide independence for people with disabilities and how to volunteer for the organization. If those folks are Thrivent Financial members, he also explains how they can direct Thrivent grant money toward Can Do Canines through the Thrivent Choice program. Mike and his partner, Betty Otto, have been Can Do Canines volunteers …

Terry Marshall & Hearing Assist Dog Carson Imagine not being to hear the alarm clock in the morning. How would you wake up to go to work? How would you start your day? This is the challenge Terry Marshall of Miltona, Minn. has battled for the last 20 years. Terry has Meniere’s disease, which led to progressive hearing loss. Luckily his wife, Connie, has been able to help rouse him out of bed in the morning, but there have still been numerous other sounds he finds himself missing. When asked what sounds he has trouble discerning, Terry responds jovially, “I’m …

Cory Anderson & Mobility Assistance Dog Paddington  When asked what it felt like to officially certify with Mobility Assist Dog Paddington, Cory Anderson of Sioux Falls, S. Dakota says, “It’s awesome! It just feels so good to be actually a team.” In speaking with Cory, he sounds like your everyday twenty-five year-old. He enjoys his work, loves hunting and spending time with friends and family. But since birth, Cory has grappled with spina bifida. Spina bifida occurs in an infant when the backbone and membranes do not completely close around the spinal cord. The effects of spina bifida can be …

Signe Scott & Autism Assist Dog Luther Aubrey and Chad Scott of Knife River, Minn. cannot believe the difference one dog has made in their lives. More importantly, they can’t believe the difference one dog has made for their daughter Signe. Signe is seven-years old with an advanced intelligence beyond her age. She speaks multiple languages and will even teach herself new things when she becomes interested in a subject. Despite these gifts, Signe has autism, which creates a challenge in social situations. She works hard to verbally communicate, but developmental delays and delays in speech make it difficult for …

Marilyn Chazin-Caldie & Mobility Assist Dog Checkers Marilyn Chazin-Caldie doesn’t want to be slowed down. A retired statistician, she lives in Medina, Minn. with her husband Patrick. Despite being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and Behcet’s Disease—both of which have caused the inability to walk—she remains active and pursues her interests. “I am involved in pottery and photography classes,” Marilyn says. “I like to take ‘walks’ to photograph at zoos, arboretums, museums—often alone.” While she does her best to stay independent, multiple sclerosis has taken its toll. Marilyn uses a wheelchair to get around and suffers from daily back and leg …

Tami Summer & Hearing Assist Dog Lola Tami Summer always wanted a dog. But as a hairdresser in Alexandria, Minn. she likes to keep the hair where she works—not at home. So she tabled the idea. Then one day one of her clients told her about Can Do Canines assistance dogs. Since that moment Tami’s life has never been the same. Tami from has Meniere’s disease. Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that causes spontaneous episodes of vertigo along with fluctuating hearing loss, ringing in the ear and—on occasion—a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear. …

Lucas Smart & Autism Assist Dog Neville The saying, “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade” is something Jennifer Smart from Shakopee, Minn. has been trying to do for years. Her son Lucas was diagnosed with autism at age two. Around that same time her husband passed away. So for the last five years, Jennifer has worked hard to make the best of a difficult situation. But being a single-parent of a child with autism isn’t easy. Lucas has frequent meltdowns and—like many children with autism—they seem to occur for no reason. He is somewhat verbal, but primarily he points …