Help Bring Archie Home

I now know how despair feels like. I knew the meaning of the word but never know the feeling. You feel it deep in your body; it takes away your breath and holds you tight in its clutches.  As a geriatric nurse I would often take care of patients who are depressed. I would hold their hand, listen to their stories and tried to reassure. I really had thought that I understood how they felt. I now know that I never came even close to understand what they felt. It took a tragedy in my life to plunge me deep into the despair and to show me what it feels like.

My world was shattered early morning on December 28 of last year.  This is when my seventeen year old daughter attempted to take her own life.  I don’t know all of the demons that haunt my daughter and make her want to leave this world.  I know that my daughter had struggled with anxiety and depression for years.  High school with its pressures, cliques, and intense bullying has proven to be too much for my daughter and she ended up dropping out in Grade 10. 

I was very lucky and my daughter survived her attempt to end her life.  However, her life remains a struggle. When I look at my daughter I see the pain in her eyes.  Since that day in the late December we continue to bring happiness into her life, but the journey is not easy.   On this journey was have met a wonderful lady who trains dogs to support people who suffer from anxiety and depression.  She had introduced us to Archie.  Archie is a mutt that had his own struggles.  He had grown too large for the young family who got him as a puppy but were not prepared for the demands of raising and training a large dog.  As a result he ended up looking for a new home and someone to love him. 

The first time we came to meet Archie; we did not know what to expect and were a little nervous.  When Archie came into the room for the first time to meet us, he immediately went to my daughter.  It’s like he could understand that she needed his touch, and his love. My daughter responded to him immediately and I could see the happiness and joy in her eyes. 

We have a long journey ahead of us. My daughter and Archie will train together and learn about each other for the next 6 to 8 months.  After the training Archie will be my daughter’s constant companion and will help her in her day to day life.  This whole process is not a cheap one, overall the price tag is at $16,000. 

Can you help me to give my daughter her life back?