“I just felt like life was kind of passing me by,” says Bridget, thinking back to how she was living following a traumatic brain injury she sustained in 2012. “I hit a point where things were untenable with some of the significant side effects I had from that TBI.” Those effects included migraines that sometimes hit her “like a tidal wave,” often causing nausea and other neurological symptoms, possibly seizures. Chronic pain, as well as hypermobility issues, are other factors Bridget deals with. Her use of three fingers on one hand and two on the other was impacted by her …
Mobility Assistance Dog
Stormie Breeds Independence for Jensen
A quote from American novelist Jamie McGuire reads, “A mother’s love is the strongest energy known to man.” Jensen, who received Mobility Assist Dog Stormie in late 2022, easily senses the maternal energy of Stormie, who came to Jensen after being in our breeding program. Jensen explains, “She had two litters, and I think that really shows in her personality, because of how caring she is.” Stormie’s nurturing presence has been a welcome relief for Jensen. Diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Jensen struggles with muscular weakness and hypermobility. She previously had a Can Do Canine …
Mobility Assist Dog Ion Brings a Positive Charge to Carrie’s Life
Carrie, who battles juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, first applied to Can Do Canines while in college in the early 2000s. She was accepted for a Mobility Assist Dog, but with the stress of graduating, moving, finding a job, etc., she decided to defer going through the process. In 2019, Carrie had a major neck surgery, which “really changed things for me,” she says. “Mobility has been getting harder the last few years.” She explains that with continual bone deterioration and the use of crutches, she has difficulty picking up items and performing other needed motions. Carrie lives alone and …
Paul Grabs a Sense of Freedom with Cider
Paul describes himself as “naturally clumsy.” But clumsiness, alone, had nothing to do with the reason for him wanting to apply to Can Do Canines for a Mobility Assist Dog. In 2015, Paul started to feel ill and soon learned that his immune system was attacking his muscles and skin. Just as he was on the road to recovery, he caught fungal meningitis, putting him in a coma for 80 days. When he woke up, he learned the disease had invaded his spinal column, causing paralysis in his lower body. Then, in 2019, his wife was diagnosed with cancer and …
Dotty’s Deep Pressure Therapy Takes the Pressure off Meghan
People who need help regulating their blood pressure may wear compression gear, such as socks, shirts, and pants. For Meghan—who has a form of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS—part of her compression ensemble is now an assistance dog. Meghan was diagnosed a few years ago with hyperadrenergic POTS, which affects heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and stress hormone levels. Meghan explains, “It’s like I’m in fight or flight mode all the time.” But Meghan can’t “fight” or “flight” if she’s unconscious, which was happening quickly and frequently for her. She says, “I can be standing up for about …
Mobility Assist Dog Elvis is No Impersonator Assistance Dog
“You just do what you have to do,” was Kevin’s mentality in dealing with pain and mobility issues related to failed back fusion surgeries. He says, “Bending down on the floors is hard for me.” He also reports having fallen asleep while driving–something he attributed to the many medications he needed to combat the pain. While it has been nearly 20 years since Kevin, a retired civil engineer, has considered himself disabled, it was more recently when a medical professional recommended Can Do Canines to him. Kevin applied and was matched with a yellow Lab named Elvis. He says, “I …
Irwin Helps Emme Find Solace
By Debbie Surman – Many of us take for granted what we think are small things in life like driving, picking up things we drop, or even doing laundry. Yes, laundry for most, is a chore, but what if doing it was not only a chore but dangerous too? Nineteen-year-old Emme has two genetic disorders: one affecting her mitochondria; the other, a connective tissue disorder, and just before eighth grade, she suffered a head injury, causing additional issues. By tenth grade, Emme began realizing the impact her disabilities would have on her life. By her second semester of college, she …
Integrating Breeze into his Life was a Breeze for Ridge
Ridge knows the drill. As a successor client, Ridge’s history with service dogs is extensive. Breeze is his third dog from Can Do Canines since becoming a client in 2006, and he trained a couple of dogs prior to that on his own. Despite having faced premature retirement with his 2019 Mobility and Hearing Assist Dog, Peggy, Ridge kept his heart open and ready to embrace a new partner. This summer, he was paired with Breeze, and says, “She is just perfect for me … She makes me be a better person.” Ridge has Multiple Sclerosis, hearing loss, and vision …
Olive Brings a New Sense of Adventure for Devin
Devin, who is in their mid-20s, sarcastically describes having “a fun mashup” of syndromes: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and post-concussive syndrome. On any given day, they might use a combination of crutches, a walker and a wheelchair. However, when they drop something, difficulties can arise. “I can’t really bend over if I’m using my crutches or my walker. So I would just be stuck there waiting for someone to come get it, or I would have to climb all the way down to the ground, get it, and then figure out a way to climb back up while …
Hard-Working Tommy has Changed Pat’s Life
Three-year-old yellow Lab Tommy was nearly offered a job while at Walmart with his human partner, Pat, when the two of them were shopping there after being certified. Pat explained that a worker saw Tommy picking up an item that Pat had dropped and said they could employ him to collect all the merchandise that falls on the floor throughout the store. Pat is not about to share her precious teammate, though. “My whole life I think has changed when he moved in or even when I knew I was going to get him,” she says. Plus, Tommy is plenty …