Luke needs a support dog!

On August 25th, 1997 my son, Luke Craig was driving to football practice at Eustis/Farnam High School. Luke suffered a near-fatal car accident caused by a blown front drivers side tire on his pickup truck. After losing control of the vehicle, Luke was thrown through the back window as the truck rolled end for end and side to side. Luke suffered multiple injuries, including a broken neck and deep lacerations from barbed wire which rolled up around him when he landed in a corn field. The worst injury however, was to Luke's brain.

For the last nearly 25 years Luke has been living with a severe and diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury. This journey has been full of incredible challenges and heartbreaking struggles. Due to the care Luke requires he has found himself moving from group home to group home and facility to facility - always searching for the best placement to meet the high demands of a person with a brain injury. This has made it difficult for Luke to have the sense of belonging and a place to call HOME, a place to call his own and some day have his own family.

In the last two years, Luke's physical body has started to show the wear and tear of someone who has tried to remain as mobile as possible. Luke has frequent, sometimes dangerous falls but he rarely asks for help up. He wants to be strong and if you know Luke, never lose the ability to BE "Luke - the man, the myth, the legend"!!

Please enjoy this video produced by the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska. These are friends and brain injury survivors we have had the privilege of meeting along the journey. Wait for it.....please watch until the end.

Of course, Luke had many hopes, dreams and wishes that are no longer within his grasp. YET!! God still answers our prayers, the biggest of which is a to have friend like no other, something Luke has been missing the last 25 years. In March of 2021, Luke, my husband Mitch and I attended a Dog Show sponsored by Domesti-Pups, an amazing organization right here in Lincoln, Nebraska. We reached out to them and they were immediately interested in helping Luke. They have completed interviews with Luke and are in the process of finding and training a dog specifically for Luke and his heavy-duty physical needs. In June of 2022 Luke and I will attend a 12-day training where Luke will finally meet HIS dog and receive all the training he needs to know: how to work with his dog; give clear and consistent commands; and love on his dog. All of the meticulous work Domesti-Pups does finding and training the perfect dog, and the subsequent training Luke will receive costs $14,000. If you're curious, do some research. That is a huge bargain compared to what it costs in most places across the United States. Beyond the dog and the training is future veterinary bills, dog food, treats and accessories. Luke is on a limited income and needs a jump start and some savings to be able to provide well for his dog.

The greatest benefit of having a Service Dog for Luke is that he will have a devoted friend, an added sense of family, someone to be by his side, someONE that BELONGS to him and loves him unconditionally. Someone to do life with. Someone to hang out with 24 hours a day when maybe no one else is there. Someone to hug, to snuggle, to play with. Research has shown that having a Service Dog increases independence, provides more opportunities for community inclusion and increases social acceptance. We can't even imagine all the new experiences, comfort and joy that having a dog will bring to Luke's life.

Whatever you donate will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your kind and thoughtful contribution.