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DONATION MATCH:
Every donation received between now and October 31st (up to our goal) will be matched!
HOW TO DONATE:
Either donate directly to Brigadoon (be sure to tell them it's for Daemon in the "special instructions to the seller") or click the giant "Donate Now" button above.
DAEMON'S STORY:
This is Daemon, affectionately known to most by his nickname, Dragon. Daemon has both Autism Spectrum Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. For those unfamiliar, Autism is an umbrella term for a group of disorders that affect the way the brain develops and processes information. Spectrum Disorders are often characterized by issues with social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive or self destructive behaviors, difficulties with speech, motor coordination and sensory input, and physical health ailments such as sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal issues.
In simpler language, Daemon's world looks different than a typical child. He desperately wants friends, but interacting with other children is both confusing and stressful for him. His speech is difficult to understand, which further alienates him from his peers. He has horrible nightmares and night terrors, which disrupt everything else in his life for days or weeks at a time. His senses feel like they are under constant assault, and everything from people talking in the next room to the way his clothes feel against his skin can be read as both upsetting and dangerous by his brain.
Sorting through which information to pay attention to and which to discard is extremely difficult for him, and often leads to his being completely overwhelmed by day to day tasks other children navigate easily. His therapist has described his internal landscape as a constant battleground that he has to fight his way through just to get to the end of the day. We have worked hard as a family to create safe space for him both in our home and with us, but it's not enough.
Daemon's Anxiety Disorder complicates these symptoms. It strips him of the ability to rationalize, leaving him feeling trapped and isolated. He is an athletic child who loves to run, but somedays, his fears and phobias are so crippling, he can't even go outside. Even going from room to room inside our home can be terrifying for him, and he will often ask one of us to escort him to the bathroom, or just to sit in his room with him. He doesn't want to interact, and will often get upset if we attempt to talk to him. He's just too overwhelmed and scared to be on his own.
Needless to say, this limits Daemon's world significantly. He wants desperately to interact with the outside world, but the reality of the noise, people, and unpredicatibilities of life make this extremely challenging. Simple outings like going to the ice cream social at his school or out to a bowling alley cause him to be overwhelmed, overstimulated, and begin to panic. We never leave the house with him without the understanding that at any moment, we will have to leave whatever we are doing and come home.
There have been rare times when he has succeeded at navigating a challenging situation, like going on a boat ride this summer with his cousins. The picture below was taken right after the boat ride. He was so proud of himself. We were so proud of him. We want this freedom and confidence for him to be a constant, consistent part of his life, not a rare fleeting moment.
That's where the Autism Service Dog comes into play. Service dogs trained for children with Autism offer them the security and stability to navigate a world that is simply not designed for how their brains function. They can act as a social bridge, to help children's interactions with their peers and adults, and they provide a calm and steady presence for when a child's senses are completely overloaded. They also have been shown to lower the overall anxiety levels in their human partners, and help ease the frequency and severity of sleep disturbances.
To accomplish this goal, we are fundraising for an amazing organization called Brigadoon Service Dogs. You can check them out here: http://www.brigadoondogs.org/
Training a qualified service dog takes 2 years and can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000. Our responsibility is to raise $10,000 for Brigadoon in Daemon's name to be put toward his dog. We have already been to Brigadoon and watched Daemon interact with several of the current dogs in training. We will keep going up there while their training continues, until it becomes clear which dog is the right choice for Daemon. It's a collabroative process, and one we have spent over a year preparing for.
Now we're asking you, all of you, to help us meet this goal for our son. Every single dollar you can donate helps, and no donation is too small. Through October 31st, everything we raise will be matched!
For every donation received, Daemon and I will be folding a paper crane in your honor. As the donations grow, so will the number of cranes, and Daemon will have a visual representation and reminder of all the people who reached out to help him. I will post pictures as the collection of cranes grows.
There are two ways you can donate. First, you can donate right here! Second, you can donate to Brigadoon directly in Daemon's name. Just make sure you click "Special instructions to the seller," and write, "For Daemon." As Brigadoon Service Dogs is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit charity, all your donations are tax deductible, whether they come through us or go to Brigadoon directly. If you would like a tax receipt for your donation made here, simply make sure we have your name and address and let me know you would like one. I will pass that information to Brigadoon and one will be sent to you.
Daemon knows that there is a world out there he is missing out on. Thank you for helping us to help him gain the independence and confidence that he truly deserves.
Every donation received between now and October 31st (up to our goal) will be matched!
HOW TO DONATE:
Either donate directly to Brigadoon (be sure to tell them it's for Daemon in the "special instructions to the seller") or click the giant "Donate Now" button above.
DAEMON'S STORY:
This is Daemon, affectionately known to most by his nickname, Dragon. Daemon has both Autism Spectrum Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. For those unfamiliar, Autism is an umbrella term for a group of disorders that affect the way the brain develops and processes information. Spectrum Disorders are often characterized by issues with social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, repetitive or self destructive behaviors, difficulties with speech, motor coordination and sensory input, and physical health ailments such as sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal issues.
In simpler language, Daemon's world looks different than a typical child. He desperately wants friends, but interacting with other children is both confusing and stressful for him. His speech is difficult to understand, which further alienates him from his peers. He has horrible nightmares and night terrors, which disrupt everything else in his life for days or weeks at a time. His senses feel like they are under constant assault, and everything from people talking in the next room to the way his clothes feel against his skin can be read as both upsetting and dangerous by his brain.
Sorting through which information to pay attention to and which to discard is extremely difficult for him, and often leads to his being completely overwhelmed by day to day tasks other children navigate easily. His therapist has described his internal landscape as a constant battleground that he has to fight his way through just to get to the end of the day. We have worked hard as a family to create safe space for him both in our home and with us, but it's not enough.
Daemon's Anxiety Disorder complicates these symptoms. It strips him of the ability to rationalize, leaving him feeling trapped and isolated. He is an athletic child who loves to run, but somedays, his fears and phobias are so crippling, he can't even go outside. Even going from room to room inside our home can be terrifying for him, and he will often ask one of us to escort him to the bathroom, or just to sit in his room with him. He doesn't want to interact, and will often get upset if we attempt to talk to him. He's just too overwhelmed and scared to be on his own.
Needless to say, this limits Daemon's world significantly. He wants desperately to interact with the outside world, but the reality of the noise, people, and unpredicatibilities of life make this extremely challenging. Simple outings like going to the ice cream social at his school or out to a bowling alley cause him to be overwhelmed, overstimulated, and begin to panic. We never leave the house with him without the understanding that at any moment, we will have to leave whatever we are doing and come home.
There have been rare times when he has succeeded at navigating a challenging situation, like going on a boat ride this summer with his cousins. The picture below was taken right after the boat ride. He was so proud of himself. We were so proud of him. We want this freedom and confidence for him to be a constant, consistent part of his life, not a rare fleeting moment.
That's where the Autism Service Dog comes into play. Service dogs trained for children with Autism offer them the security and stability to navigate a world that is simply not designed for how their brains function. They can act as a social bridge, to help children's interactions with their peers and adults, and they provide a calm and steady presence for when a child's senses are completely overloaded. They also have been shown to lower the overall anxiety levels in their human partners, and help ease the frequency and severity of sleep disturbances.
To accomplish this goal, we are fundraising for an amazing organization called Brigadoon Service Dogs. You can check them out here: http://www.brigadoondogs.org/
Training a qualified service dog takes 2 years and can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000. Our responsibility is to raise $10,000 for Brigadoon in Daemon's name to be put toward his dog. We have already been to Brigadoon and watched Daemon interact with several of the current dogs in training. We will keep going up there while their training continues, until it becomes clear which dog is the right choice for Daemon. It's a collabroative process, and one we have spent over a year preparing for.
Now we're asking you, all of you, to help us meet this goal for our son. Every single dollar you can donate helps, and no donation is too small. Through October 31st, everything we raise will be matched!
For every donation received, Daemon and I will be folding a paper crane in your honor. As the donations grow, so will the number of cranes, and Daemon will have a visual representation and reminder of all the people who reached out to help him. I will post pictures as the collection of cranes grows.
There are two ways you can donate. First, you can donate right here! Second, you can donate to Brigadoon directly in Daemon's name. Just make sure you click "Special instructions to the seller," and write, "For Daemon." As Brigadoon Service Dogs is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit charity, all your donations are tax deductible, whether they come through us or go to Brigadoon directly. If you would like a tax receipt for your donation made here, simply make sure we have your name and address and let me know you would like one. I will pass that information to Brigadoon and one will be sent to you.
Daemon knows that there is a world out there he is missing out on. Thank you for helping us to help him gain the independence and confidence that he truly deserves.