Hi my name is Erin, my husband Ronnie and I are fundraising to help our son get a support dog.

On October 20,2012 we welcomed a beautiful baby boy into this world.

After he was born they did the standard tests in the hospital to be sure he was healthy and then sent us home.

To our surprise we received a phone call from our doctor stating that the heel prick test indicated that our son was born with congenital hypothyroidism and that we needed to head to the emergency as soon as possible for additional testing. After 7 overwhelming hours we were discharged and told he would need to start thyroid medication immediately to prevent any abnormalities in his growth. A few days later my doctor called to talk about our sons diagnosis stating that my son would have severe mental and physical delays. Our hearts were broken and we weren't sure how to navigate this.

Fast forward a year later and to our surprise he was developing at what we thought was a normal rate. He walked at 15 months and was speaking above an age appropriate level.

Following his diagnosis our son would need to go in for blood tests quite frequently which was such an emotional, traumatizing and exhausting journey for him with lots of needleplay

at the hospital and nasal sedations which would be followed by hours in hospital and ongoing support from the child life team.

As he grew older he was quite involved socially and participated in many activities like swimming, gymnastics, biking, hiking, playing at the park and more!

At age 4 we were seeing a lot of aggressive behaviour, both physical and verbal. As he aged the episodes increased, often lasting an hour or more which was so overwhelming and sad to experience. As a first time parent I didn't realize or maybe I didn't

want to see that this wasn't normal behaviour.

In the fall of 2017 our son attended kindergarten. His difficulties and fixations were more pronounced in the school environment. We would have meetings regularly to figure out different strategies to help him. Nothing seemed to work, so we decided to take him to the doctor for an assessment. A local children's psychiatrist diagnosed him with an anxiety disorder and specified that he does not have autism.

In grade 2 he was suspended from school for a violent episode against another student. Shortly after that he was kicked out of after school care.

Around this time he started self harming and negative self talk of how he didn't deserve love or living.

I was at the time trying to hold down a full time job after my husband had to take time off of work due to severe depression and anxiety. We were stuck in a really tough spot with my husband trying to care for himself while supporting our son with no help.

We were so overwhelmed in our situation that it seemed like we would never have a solution.I would leave work multiple times a week feeling so lost in an emotional pained state not knowing what to do to support my husband and son who were immensely struggling.

I eventually made the decision to quit my job.

Then in 2020 Covid hit. We didn't know what to do or what to believe, so we decided to homeschool our son for the following school year. This time period rocked his world in the worst way possible. Although he struggled, he was part of a friend group of 5 or 6 other boys

at his school. The isolation took away those connections, we tried to keep them going but due to not being physically at school they dwindled away.

We tried to shield him the best that we could from all that was going on with a worldwide pandemic, but the anxiety we felt he also felt. He became scared of being close to people anywhere and would no longer participate in activities. The physical and verbal episodes escalated.

He attended school the next year but it was no longer a positive space for him. He wouldn't enter the classroom or be around others. His episodes negatively affected his friendships, they all continued those connections without him. No one seemed to understand or

recognize what was going on with our son. I was called daily by the school staff to come to the school to deescalate him while the school was on lockdown, all while caring for our new baby.

We were seeing a psychiatrist at the time and he was finally diagnosed with combined adhd. Eventually we decided to try medication for his adhd because the level of trauma our daughter was witnessing from his episodes wasn't healthy. Unfortunately our son is one of those people who reacts differently to certain medications and ended up having suicidal manic episodes. Nothing seemed to help!

Shortly after his 11th birthday he was admitted to Ledger house, where we would visit him twice a day for the next 6 weeks. It was probably one of the hardest things for him and our family to go through. They were able to observe and assess his behaviours and went

through plans that would help us at home. It was suggested that we get him assessed for autism and a coordination disorder. We waited a year for his assessment and he was finally diagnosed with autism, which apparently he didn't present in the typical ways.

Attending middle school was very challenging with all of the past lingering in his peers' minds and he had a hard time making connections with other students. The past 2 years he spent time in a separate room with 6 different EA’s for 2 hours a day not receiving much of an education or socialization. After many planned meetings and failed attempts by the school, we decided to pursue online schooling along with therapy to get our son back on track.

Due to the trauma from the school system and isolation from peers, he's very resistant to forming new connections or being around people. His physical and mental health have taken a toll.

He is an amazing intelligent person so full of empathy, love and kindness. He has a beautiful connection with younger children and enjoys teaching and helping them in a calm gentle way. He also has a close connection to animals, often being the one they gravitate towards. He has so much potential in life and just needs some help and guidance to get there.

Due to the constant support needs of our son and my husband's ongoing mental health struggles, my husband and I are not employed and financially things are tight. As we navigate the next chapters in our son's life we would love to provide our son with an animal companion to help with daily living, from transitions to emotional regulation to being out in

the community feeling confident in social situations with a buddy by his side. I think we all know that unconditional love and acceptance we feel from having a dog as a best friend.

We have looked into many different potential resources but we have had no luck. Many organizations have an age limit which he is no longer eligible for. Other places that provide dogs have long waitlists that are closed. I have looked into funding from children's charities and autism funding with no luck. So we are reaching out to the community to adopt an appropriate breed to support our son.