Mary Jo Stockman & Mobility Assistance Dog Folly Although Mary Jo Stockman of Hampton, Minn. is no longer training or riding horses her counterbalance and Mobility Assist Dog could easily be confused for a small horse at first glance. Mary Jo has dealt with multiple injuries to her spine as well as a birth defect that limit her mobility. Her ability to walk and balance is limited, plus she is unable to safely reach things on the floor and pick them up. While she no longer competes with horses she currently makes breath-taking derby hats and drives carriage horses. After much research, …
News
Cory Hepola with Kare 11 | A Mother’s Thank You
MINNEAPOLIS – Tom Sandness can go to work, and his mom, Mary, can rest easy. “I’ve been meaning to write to you about my son, Tom Sandness,” Mary reads. For Mary, it’s easier this way. Easier to write down her feelings, expressing just how scared she was every single day. “We held on to Tom during his many, many seizures. We rode in the ambulance with him, we sat by his bed in hospitals.” Tom was in the hospital because his blood sugar would drop so low, so fast. He was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was seven, …
Bonding with Oakley
James Pick & Mobility Assistance Dog Oakley Brainerd, Minn. resident James Pick has a new roommate: Mobility Assist Dog Oakley. James is living with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease which attacks the central nervous system. “Because of my MS I have problems with balance and I fatigue easily,” says James. Without family close by James and his loved ones were living with a lot of worries; with Oakley around James has an assistant to help him with tasks as well as providing greater peace of mind for both himself and his family. Mobility Assistance Dog Oakley is a gorgeous …
Candy Girl
Remington Christoph & Autism Assistance Dog Candy By: Patti Miller Chocolate is often associated with candy, right? Well in this case, Candy is a type of chocolate that isn’t edible. Candy is a lovable, outgoing, energetic two-year-old chocolate Labrador Retriever that has been paired with Remington (Remy) Christoph and his family from Victoria, Minn. Remy is a loveable, energetic seven-year-old who has autism. At an early age mom, dad and other family members noticed Remy’s language skills were not developing as well as they should have and his lack of eye contact was concerning. His diagnosis sent his mom searching …
A Safe Connection
Maxim Lemesh & Autism Assistance Dog Vaughn Thirteen years ago, Alena, Mikalai and Mikita Lemesh came to America from Belarus, a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. Eight years ago, the family welcomed newborn Maxim (Max) to the family. The Lemeshes began to worry about Max at the age of two because he still wasn’t verbal. Max also flipped his hands in repetitive motions and wouldn’t play with toys like other children his age. “We were worried about Max and took him to see our pediatrician. The pediatrician confirmed Max’s signs for autism so we got him tested by the district. …
Warner the Hero
Dennis Wold & Mobility Assistance Dog Warner “Recently I received a call and when I tried to answer the phone it tumbled underneath the table. Before having Warner it would have taken me 15 minutes to try to get the phone back, but with Warner here it took less than a minute; he retrieved the phone quickly and I didn’t miss the call,” says Dennis Wold of Cloquet, Minn. Dennis became a quadriplegic at the age of 21 due to a diving accident. Throughout his life Dennis has had pet dogs; but now seemed like the right time to try …
Stability with Tango
Lia (Rui Rui) Bleifuss & Mobility Assistance Dog Tango Lia Bleifuss, known to family and friends as Rui Rui, which is a term of endearment, is from Minneapolis, Minn. Rui Rui is a typical 13-year-old and she loves to read, hang out with friends, vacation with her mom Sherry, dad Ethan and sister Ava in the summer and she thoroughly enjoys swimming. In fact, Rui Rui competes on two swim teams. In the past three years, she’s competed at the National Junior Disability Championships with the Courage team in New Jersey, Wisconsin and Iowa. Rui Rui is a wonderful swimmer …
A Real Doll!
Brett Young & Diabetes Assistance Dog Barbie Author: Vera Mariner Barbie is loved and spoiled, and she deserves it. She provides a life-saving service to client Brett Young from Saint Cloud, Minn. as a Diabetes Assist Dog. Managing a chronic condition is not for the faint of heart and Brett has strategized a care team that has created a comfortable and safe existence. Barbie is captain of that team. Her ability to alert Brett if his blood sugar is low is lifesaving. Even though Brett’s Continuous Glucose Monitor* is a brilliant tool for him, he does not hear when the …
Bringing Awareness
Len Hovan & Diabetes Assistance Dog Rogue Len Hovan from Eagan, Minn. enjoys woodworking, restoring antiques and traveling. He lives with type 1 brittle diabetes which means he encounters frequent and extreme swings in his blood glucose levels. Len also experiences hypoglycemia unawareness, so he’s unable to feel the deep drops in his blood sugar levels. These can be incredibly dangerous and even life threatening. Rogue, a three-year-old black Standard Poodle was described by her Can Do Canines trainers and foster volunteers as snuggly, dainty, playful and always so happy. She was matched with Len as his Diabetes Assist Dog. …
Jack and Valor – Best Friends
Jackson Wallrath & Autism Assistance Dog Valor When Jackson (Jack) Wallrath was two years old he suddenly started reacting differently towards things that weren’t usually a big deal to him. His language development also plateaued. Shortly after that, Jack was diagnosed with autism. Luckily, Jack’s family lives just down the road from St. David’s Children’s Center in Minnetonka where he attended for over a year. While at the Children’s Center, Jack’s mother, Sarah, noticed that he wasn’t doing well with change or chaotic situations. He was also less verbal than his classmates, and had a hard time making friends in …
Contact Us
Location
