According to Greek mythology, the white flowers on the yarrow plants symbolize healing, courage, and love. Kelsi, who was recently matched with Mobility Assist Dog Yarrow, believes that Yarrow’s name is fitting. Although their partnership is just beginning to bloom, Kelsi states that “Yarrow already provides me with all of this and more.”
Kelsi is a graduate student pursuing her Masters of Arts in Occupational Therapy. She also lives with symptoms of what is known in the medical world as the “trifecta,” which includes Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), as well as neurological symptoms stemming from traumatic brain injuries. On any given day, she experiences joint subluxations, spinal instability, muscle weakness, diminished grip strength, chronic pain, severe migraines, dizziness, nausea, anaphylaxis, and other symptoms. Kelsi explains that “the effects of all of my diagnoses combined have become increasingly disabling to the point where my body thinks it’s running a marathon when really I’m just trying to do my everyday chores.”
As a self-described “fiercely independent person,” Kelsi had tried for years to push through these challenges, although doing so could trigger even more disabling symptoms. Feeling frustrated as her mobility became increasingly impaired, Kelsi says “There were some things that I stopped being able to do on my own at all.”
Kelsi felt her independence slipping away, and she knew something had to change. When she learned of a Can Do Canines open house, she made plans to attend. “I didn’t want to get my hopes up, so I told myself that as an OT student, it would be good to learn about what assistance dogs could do for my future clients. Underneath the surface, though, I have to admit I was actually going for myself.” She thought perhaps that since she was not a full-time wheelchair user, she was not disabled enough to qualify for an assistance dog. Yet, she was encouraged by a Can Do Canines staff member who told her that evening, “Respectfully, you don’t get to decide whether you are disabled enough, that’s our job so stop worrying about it. If you think an assistance dog could be helpful to you and that you are ready for that step, then you should apply.”
So she did. Twelve months later, Kelsi watched in awe on her first day of team training as Yarrow and her trainer showed off all of the skills the 3-year-old black lab had learned to help her. Kelsi shares, “When I looked into Yarrow’s joyful eyes and saw her wagging tail indicating her enthusiasm for working, I felt very emotional knowing that the answer to my prayers was standing right in front of me.”
The answers to Kelsi’s prayers for independence are literally being delivered to her every day now, as Yarrow brings Kelsi dropped items, retrieves her water and medications, tugs her laundry basket, unloads her washing machine, carries items, and opens doors. “Yarrow’s tasks help decrease the frequency and severity of my flare-ups and medical episodes,” says Kelsi. “For example, thanks to Yarrow’s help, the number of migraines I experience, as well as the amount of pain meds I take, have both been cut in half.” Not only is Kelsi able to accomplish more each day, given the energy savings Yarrow affords her, but she also requires less assistance from friends and family. Kelsi clarifies, “While Yarrow hasn’t physically saved my life, I think it’s fair to say that she’s saved my quality of life, and to me, that’s just as important.”
Thanks to Yarrow’s assistance, Kelsi feels a sense of hope for the first time in years. “Overall, I feel like my life is full of so many more possibilities than it was before I got Yarrow,” she shares. Since receiving Yarrow, Kelsi has done many things that would have previously been difficult or impossible for her. With Yarrow by her side, Kelsi has gone shopping independently, joined a music ensemble for the first time in six years, and begun her first occupational therapy clinical internship. “The love, laughter, independence, and unconditional acceptance that Yarrow has brought me is absolutely life-changing. Because of the help that Yarrow provides me with on a daily basis, I believe that I will be able to manage my health well enough to flourish in my career as an occupational therapist and help other disabled individuals live their lives to the fullest, while living my own life to the fullest as well.”
It’s no myth that the new seeds of independence that Yarrow is planting for Kelsi are already flourishing. “Now, whenever I call Yarrow to me, saying her name out loud is a powerful reminder for me of the healing, courage, and love that she offers to me every day. She is such a blessing!”
Thank you to all those who made this partnership possible:
Whelping Home — Kelly Lindemann
Raisers — Celeste Bjorlin, The Krob Family
Special Thanks — Jackson Correctional Institution, Stanley Correctional Institution
Team Sponsor — Linda Calvert
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