Steve is Thrilled he Took Steps to get a Mobility Assist Dog

By Jessica Kellogg - 

When Steve describes his Parkinson’s Disease (PD) symptoms, he says it’s as if your feet just get stuck, frozen in place. Leading to his 2022 diagnosis, Steve saw PD affect his fine motor movements, gait and balance, and stamina. “I was getting more clumsy and awkward; I was suddenly having tremors all the time.” As his symptoms increased, Steve found himself becoming more and more isolated. “I found myself slowly opting out of plans, just declining to do things socially that I just knew would wear me out.” He knew that remaining active was vital to his physical and mental health. “I went from walking 12-13,000 steps a day to barely 2,000. I just couldn’t walk, it was really troubling.” His diminished balance made Steve anxious in crowds. “I remember going to a Minnesota Twins game last year, and I was really nervous. I was self-conscious about not moving fast enough. I was so unsteady in the crowd and worried that if someone would bump me, I’d fall over.”

As a retired psychologist, Steve recognized the toll PD was having on his mental health too. “I wouldn’t label it depression, but it was just a drab existence. Frankly, I mostly was sitting in a chair and not doing anything. I was living without a purpose.” Steve considers himself to be a man with a strong faith, “I knew I had a spiritual purpose, but it’s that everyday purpose that was missing. ‘Why am I getting up every morning?’” 

In April 2023, Steve and his wife, Diane, attended a Parkinson’s Symposium. There, they met a woman and her dog representing Can Do Canines. Steve was intrigued, but skeptical about his own needs. “I could see a dog for severe disabilities, but I thought ‘I’m not bad enough to need a dog.’” Diane, on the other hand, walked away from the symposium confident that a dog was just what Steve needed. 

Taking his wife’s suggestion, Steve applied for an assistance dog, and about nine months later, Steve was matched with Olson. “It was pretty exciting. I had this mental picture of a small lab you typically see, and in walks Olson and he’s huge! He was excited and I was excited. It really was love at first lick.” Early in their training together, Steve got a shirt that said This Human Belongs to Olson. “And it's completely true, he’s always looking up at me as if to say ‘What do you need?’ ‘What can I do?’”

Steve is incredibly grateful to everyone involved in getting Olson to this point, “I hope that all the volunteer raisers, trainers, walkers, groomers, and staff associated with Can Do Canines know how much they are contributing to improving the quality of life for someone who benefits from their devotion and effort. They are the ones who make the magic of an assistance dog team happen!”

Olson has been trained to assist with a number of practical life skills such as opening a door or tugging a laundry basket, but “get help” has brought the most peace of mind to Steve and Diane. “Diane felt uncomfortable leaving me alone. What if I fell and couldn’t get to my phone? Now Olson can get the phone or alert her.”

Staying as active as possible has been a priority for Steve, but before getting matched with Olson, he was struggling to do his prescribed daily five-minute walks. “Olson has really brought purpose back to my life. He’s my responsibility and he needed more than just a five-minute walk. Together, we would go on four or five walks a day and my strength grew. Before I knew it, 2,000 steps a day became 8, 9, or even 10,000 steps.” Additionally, Olson is able to act as a buffer in crowds. This allows Steve to navigate them safely and with more confidence. As Diane describes the relationship between Steve and Olson, “Parkinson's is so isolating. Now Olson is just his forever buddy. It’s amazing how he opened Steve’s world when it was closing.”

“I wrongly thought that my needs were too trivial for an assistance dog. I never knew how Olson would change my life. I would encourage anyone who is even slightly interested to do what I did. Explore the potential benefits of a Can Do Canine and take the time to fill out an application. It’s taking that first step to change your life.”

 

Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:
Whelping Home — Kolleen Herr
Raisers — Angie and Larry LaBathe, Jerry Schendel
Special Thanks — Federal Correctional Institution-Waseca,
Jackson Correctional Institution
Team Sponsor — Elmer Schindel