Main fundraiser photo

Service Dog for Truman!

This is my friend Truman with his Momma, Hannah, and his Daddy, Dave. He will be nine years old this November. Truman is Autistic. He will never be short of loving family and friends, and he has the potential to accomplish great things in his life. In love, kindness, and understanding, Truman is wealthy. All he lacks is money. A lot like the rest of us.

Truman's parents work long hours, day and night caring for Truman, taking him to school, working with his special needs counselors, and keeping Truman safe. Truman's Momma, a cancer survivor, who is still facing more surgeries is in pain most of the time, but still spends many sleepless nights when Truman has a restless night. All that is a labor of love for which his parents feel richly rewarded.

The problem is, Truman, like a lot of Autistic people, tends to wander. Truman may get up in the middle of the night, and just walk out the door, even past the locks and alarms his parents have in place. He may suddenly bolt from his mother or father while getting into the car and run into traffic. He can't make the connection of what's safe and what's not, and could fall in a ditch, get hopelessly lost in a crowd, or any number of dangerous situations. A GPS device can tell you where he is, but it can't keep him from danger.

A service dog that will come instantly awake and aware if Truman tries to leave his room, can and will keep him safe and calm, and alert his parents if needed. A trained Service dog, at Truman's side will keep him out of traffic, and provide the constant, vigilant protection Truman needs.

IMPORTANT FACTS
** Nearly half of Autistic children engage in wandering behavior
** Wandering occurs across all settings, under every type of adult supervision
** Increased risks are associated with Autism severity
** Accidental drowning accounts for approximately 90% of lethal outcomes

If you'd like more detailed information about wandering, AWAARE has an excellent web site.

Service Animals help in lots of other ways besides physical safety. They help the child create a social bridge to other people that come into contact with them. They can decrease incidents of bullying or isolation in the school setting. Service Animals help decrease anxiety by maintaining and projecting a calm energy which the child senses and mirrors. They help greatly with sleep disturbance by sharing a room at night and helping the child re-settle if awakened. The dog can provide calming pressure by laying on or near the child which helps regulate their sensory systems and slows their breathing. And there are many other benefits too numerous to mention.

As you can imagine, Service dogs are very expensive, which is the reason for this page.

If you find a place in your heart for Truman, please help with whatever donation you can. If you have a place in your heart, but not your budget, then please share this page with your friends. Thank you.

FaceBook Users: Please join our Group Page and keep informed about our progress! Team Truman on FaceBook!
Donate

Donations 

  • Jeffrey Durbin
    • $50 
    • 6 yrs
Donate

Organizer

Dwight Jenkins
Organizer
Mechanicville, NY

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.