Hi Family and Friends!

This year, our family is emBARKing on a new adventure: a service dog for Ella!!

We’re excited to introduce Gidget, a year and a half old English Cream Golden Retriever who has been specially trained by Pawsitism Inc as an autism support dog. Ella was paired with Gidget in December, and we will be trained with her, as a family, to complete her ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) certification to become a service dog!

Ella being paired with Gidget was a serendipitous event. We had first met Gidget months earlier at a school PTA meeting - her foster/training is being done by a teacher at Ella’s school. Meeting Gidget and Ms. Venn was the push we needed to apply for Ella to receive her own service dog. Later, we met Gidget again at the Mead Public Library’s event in which children could read to service dogs in training. While Ella was reading to Gidget and the other dogs in attendance, her application was being hand-delivered to the Pawsitism team. ❤️ Gidget has been a topic of many conversations in our home ever since!

As many of you know, Ella was born with a variety of congenital midline “defects,” which have required regular and sometimes significant medical intervention. Some of her diagnoses will continue to require additional intervention over time.

What we haven’t shared as widely, was Ella’s Autism (level 1) diagnosis. Ella was diagnosed at about 3 years old, and though we continually hear, “you’d never know, looking at her,” seeing her on a daily basis can present a very different story.

We have never seen any of her health concerns as a hindrance, and we always celebrate Ella for being uniquely herself. However, we also realize these are real challenges that require real tools to set her up for success. As Ella has gotten older, she has begun to exhibit need for additional supports that can be best addressed by a service dog:

-Emotional regulation = need for deep pressure therapy (DPT)

-Severe medical anxiety = need for unconditional support (and DPT), since sometimes Mom & Dad have to be the “bad guys” to ensure appropriate treatment (holding her still for needle sticks, siding with the doctor/nurse when it’s for the betterment of her health, insisting on doctor visits, etc.)

-Fear of being alone (even when we’re in the other room) = a built in buddy to help her feel safe

-Running (eloping) when she’s disregulated = “tethering,” which means keeping her in place for her safety

As Ella is getting older, we know her needs will continue to change, and Gidget’s tasks likely will as well. We are confident that this new family member will be a welcome, and positive change for Ella, and for us as her parents.

Having a service dog comes at a cost. While Pawsitism does not charge for the dogs they place, they do request a donation of $6,000 (which supports the continued placement of other autism support service dogs) due at the time of Gidget’s ADA certification. While this is a small price to pay for the peace of mind, comfort, and support she’ll provide, it’s still a significant expense for our family.

While it’s difficult to ask for help, we know that Ella’s stories, smiles, and personality have won her the support and love of so many of our family and friends. If you are so moved, we would greatly appreciate your support in Ella’s journey to getting her service dog - her Gidget. ❤️

From the bottoms of our hearts, thank you for your kindness, support, and love. And please follow Gidget and Ella on Instagram as we share their training process, and life as/with a service dog: @ServiceDogGidget

With Love,

Emily & Jesse Warnke