Lambeau Leaps into Nora’s Life

Nora grew up in Southern Ohio. Her dad played semi-pro football, and she quickly became a fan of the game, going to Cincinnati Bengals games and college matchups.

When she was 14, her family moved to Minnesota, but Nora struggled to embrace her new state’s pro team. Her perception of fan commitment, along with sitting inside the 70-degree Metrodome, didn’t work for her. “You're not supposed to take your coat off when you go to a football game. That's just backwards. We're in Minnesota. So I really didn't vibe with the whole Viking thing.”

A few years later, she entered college at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and quickly experienced Packers Pride during a preseason game. “I was walking down campus and I knew the score. I knew [what was] happening because everyone's windows were open. Everyone was watching the game, and I was like, ‘These are my people.’”

Minnesota wooed her back, and for the last 18 years, she has been managing the Edison High School Career and College Center for Achieve Twin Cities (and is now working toward her Ph.D.). However, Nora continued to integrate herself with her pack from Green Bay, getting a Packers “G” tattoo on her ankle, becoming one of the hundreds of thousands of team owners, and securing partial season tickets. “I’m not afraid to let people know I’m a Packer fan in Minnesota. It's obviously very controversial sometimes. And it's a heavy load. But as a Packer fan, you take it, you deal with it.”

In 2004, Nora learned she had another issue to deal with: multiple sclerosis. She was able to handle her initial headaches and slurred speech fine for a while. Gradually, numbness crept into her fingers, and her balance became affected. Then, a few years ago, she broke her foot and was immobilized. She says, “I just lost a lot of everything, and MS gained a little ground.”

That’s when online research led Nora to Can Do Canines. She explains that while comparing a few organizations, two factors weighed in Can Do Canines’ favor: having a Prison Program (“I love that these dogs change more lives than ours [as clients]” and the transparency of not having to pay anything until the application is accepted.

So Nora went on offense and gave herself a gift by applying for an assistance dog on her birthday in November 2022. Just eight months later, Nora’s Client Services Coordinator, Jenny, called to share news of a match. Jenny excitedly reported that Nora would soon get a 3-year-old black Lab. Though Nora was eager to learn the name, Jenny was hesitant, wondering how Nora felt about the Packers. As it turns out, a donor had paid to name the dog who would coincidentally become Nora’s Mobility Assist Dog. The name? Lambeau, as in the Green Bay Packers stadium! “That’s amazing!” Nora remembers reacting. She adds, “Ninety-eight percent of the people I talk to think I named him.”

Lambeau’s skills of opening and closing doors, bracing her to help her rise from a sitting position, offering pressure therapy on her legs, pressing light switches, tugging her laundry basket, and retrieving dropped items are quickly winning over Nora. “I’m excited to have him when I look at my possible future,” says Nora. “With MS, you never know. He gives me more confidence in my fight. What he can do for me, and with me, is going to develop as my needs change. That is really hopeful.”

She has rewarded her teammate with plenty of Packer-themed toys, naturally. Yet, Nora feels like the real winner in these circumstances, especially at such a low financial cost. “I’m still jaw-on-the-floor shocked that this happened for $50.” She believes that trying to express thanks is “inadequate” . . . “It’s unmeasurable the changes that [these dogs] bring to people.”

Nora states her belief of having received Lambeau, saying, “I honestly believe this was sent from Heaven. I really, really do.” Referencing her father and others who have passed away and are now angels to her, she concludes about getting an assistance dog, “Whoever it was sent from, they got it right.”

 

Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:
Whelping Home — Sheryll Fonseth-Lais
Raisers — Keehun Nam, Judy Proell
Special Thanks — Jackson Correctional Institution, Stanley Correctional Institution
Name-A-Puppy Donor — Tom Grossi