Feature Stories

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 …

Tiffany Busone & Mobility Assist Dog Lenny Tiffany Busone is determined to break down the barriers of her cerebral palsy. She’s played power wheelchair soccer in Arizona and has been a recreational therapist at a Paralympic and Olympic training site in Alabama. Tiffany holds three university degrees, most recently graduating with a Master’s Degree of Social Work from the University of Minnesota in 2014. But sometimes her cerebral palsy gets the better of her. “I have involuntary movements and my hands are often tight and closed, making it difficult to hold on to and carry things such as my cell …

Sandy McKie & Hearing Assist Dog Alea One of Sandy McKie’s favorite quotes is from Neale Donald Walsh, who states … “life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Little did Sandy know that being diagnosed with degenerative adult onset hearing loss in both ears would make her live out of her comfort zone 24/7. In the beginning, her life didn’t change drastically. The hearing aids, amplified phone, and audio assistance devices she bought helped. She told family and friends, but not co-workers, about her condition and life went on. However, through the years, each check-up revealed increased hearing …

Rich Sheehan & Mobility Assist and Seizure Assist Dog Journey While working on his house in May 2010, Rich Sheehan of Coon Rapids, Minn. slipped and fell 25 feet, landing on the ground below. In the hospital he felt lucky to see his three children again after being treated for cracked ribs, a ruptured spleen and cracked vertebrae. Undetected, however, was a broken blood vessel. Two days after the fall, Rich suffered a massive stroke. Doctors were able to operate and save his life, but not before 80 percent of the left part of his brain had been damaged. He …

Lynn Teschendorf & Mobility Assist Dog Fritz Lynn Teschendorf, of Edina, Minn., is a busy woman—a very busy woman. She works out with a personal trainer, performs in a bell choir, contributes to a book club and still finds time to go out with friends. She does all this in spite of living with multiple sclerosis for 27 years—the last 11 using a wheelchair. Multiple sclerosis (MS) has caused severe limitations in her mobility, producing difficulty walking and a tendency to drop things. “By the time I get up, get dressed, have breakfast, and feed three animals, it takes me …

Judith Nybeck & Mobility Assist Dog Lilly  Judy Nybeck of Maplewood, Minn. has been living with Parkinson’s disease since 2010. Parkinson’s, a progressive neurological disease, has been slowly taking away Judy’s mobility, balance and sense of security. While she is still active, Judy realizes she is not capable of doing many of the things she once did. “Parkinson’s makes it so I can’t do everything that I want to do, or even thought I could do,” Judy says. “I have problems with my balance and picking things up, which I know are only going to get worse.” After attending a …

Jeanne Slyter and Mobility Assist Dog Knox When asked to describe what it’s like to now have her assistance dog, Jeanne Styter of Brooklyn Park, Minn. replies … “There’s something about it that I just can’t put into words. I’m just so thankful.” Jeanne lives with her husband Dan and two teenage sons, Matthew and Nick. With her husband working full-time and her sons in school, Jeanne often finds herself home alone. This presents a problem as Jeanne has multiple sclerosis (MS). “My main worries throughout the day fluctuate between falling and not being able to pick something up that …

DJ Haye and Autism Assist Dog Lex For the first time in his life, nine-year-old DJ from Oakdale, Minn., was able to sleep through the night in his own bed. Holding the paw of his assistance dog, Lex, DJ had the comfort and security he needed to stay in his bedroom. The two-year-old black Labrador retriever took his job seriously on their first night together, cuddling right up next to DJ and staying by his side until morning. “After nine years, DJ is now sleeping in his own bed,” DJ’s mother Jody says. “And that is wonderful because now I’m …