“I could do anything,” Ruth says of her seemingly normal life before 2020. Then, a minor injury changed everything.
While working with a child with disabilities with their wheelchair, Ruth sprained her left thumb. Strangely, the pain and symptoms didn’t stay contained to her thumb. “My hand blew up the size of a football,” recalls Ruth. Within about a month, a simple sprained thumb turned into something nobody expected as Ruth was diagnosed with the rare condition complex regional pain syndrome. She cites that the pain moved into her arms and then her legs, and she has even experienced strokes and heart attacks as a result. Sharing her perspective, she says, “Your sympathetic nerve overreacts to the injury and pumps fluid to your extremities, and it causes things like ulcers. Your hand is so swollen that it breaks down the myelin sheath, and it feels like somebody took a hot knife and shoved it into your hand or foot—whatever's affected.” In addition to constant pain, balance becomes compromised, so Ruth began falling frequently too.
She hired a personal care assistant (PCA) to stay with her for 11 hours every day. Yet, at night, she was alone in her home, and that brought fear, since her pain can prevent her from being able to open a door. “I was always afraid if there was a fire, I wouldn’t be able to get out, or I’d fall on the floor, and I’d be [stuck] there.”
Ruth’s doctor was the one to suggest Can Do Canines to her. Ruth didn’t want to put the stress of an additional dog on her two older pet dogs at the time, but after each of them passed away, she knew it was time to follow her doctor’s advice.
A 3 ½-year-old black Lab named Gina proved to be a welcome relief. Custom-trained for Ruth, Gina can pick up dropped items, lift Ruth’s legs onto the bed, open doors, and more. She seems to have her thumb on the pulse of whatever Ruth needs. “She’s more incredible than I thought she would be,” acknowledges Ruth. She says that having Gina “has literally changed my life. It's the most amazing thing that ever happened to me.”
Noting a favorite task of Gina’s, Ruth adds, “She picks up the clothing and brings it into the laundry room and hands it to me. We put it in. She loves doing it.” Noting her own increased independence, Ruth shares, “With her help, I can do a lot more.”
One activity she does a lot more of is walking. Since she lives close to the Mall of America, Ruth takes Gina there regularly. It’s not uncommon for the two of them to gradually circulate three full levels in a single visit.
The relief that Gina offers is even measurable. Ruth notes, “For the first time in 23 years, my blood pressure is perfect. My doctor was stunned. I mean, I had blood pressure of 210 over 110—really, really high. And my last blood pressure check was 127 over 67.” Ruth attributes the improvement to her increased overall good mood with Gina. “You get up in the morning, you're happy. You have that squishy little face in your face, and you want the day to continue no matter how bad you feel.”
Realizing that Gina’s benefits are a reflection of much effort, Ruth says, “From the prisoners to everybody that had anything to do with her training, they have made my life worth living. They really have. I just can't express how much it's changed my life, how much joy she brings, how much laughter she brings, and how much better my life is because she's here. They are heroes in my book. Absolute heroes.”
Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:
Raisers — Sarah Illi, Linda Stefonek, Isabelle Wong and Retno Saridewi-Wong
Special Thanks — Jackson Correctional Institution
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