Service Dog for Sutton

Mike and Sasha Kelly are high school sweethearts and have three children. Their oldest daughter, Sutton is nine years old and has a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type one. Over the last nine years they have been managing her disease and modifying their life to make it as accessible for her to be as independent and included as any other nine-year-old, she utilizes a powered wheelchair and around the age of four became ventilator dependent. This past July, she got a tracheostomy to secure her airway for a spinal fusion that she will be needing in the next few months. Since the tracheostomy, Sutton has began to lose her ability to speak, drink, and swallow. 

Unfortunately, Sutton’s best attributes such as singing, telling stories, and enjoying food has began to also be taken away from her. With all Sutton has endured, she still finds a way to smile every day, accept the situation she’s in, put others first, and fight on. 

As time has progressed, her abilities have been deteriorating. This has been difficult for Sutton to understand, accept and endure. There have been days where she says it’s too much to handle and doesn’t want to be here anymore which is the most painful thing a parent can hear from their beautiful, loving, kind, caring, generous, and funny child. When things do get tough, she just needs a friend. Not someone to give her advice or pretend they understand what she is going through, but a friend who will never leave her, is able to reduce her anxieties and care or look after her when mom and dad are not able to.  

In light of everything that has been occurring, several members of our team suggested a service dog for Sutton. Although this is a great idea, after significant research, the cost and timeline associated to receiving a service dog for Sutton is not within our means due to the already mounting medical expenses. 

This is where our request for a service dog comes from. Sutton has a list of things she would like her dog to help with, for example, she would like a friend at school when all of the other children are playing on the playground, the soccer field, or the basketball court. She would also like help with opening doors, picking up toys or cuddles when she needs them. I’m addition to that, with the progression of her disease, including the deterioration of her voice, it has caused a lot of anxiety, and unfortunately, depression. Most importantly, it is a fear of Sutton’s, as well as the rest of the family, that if something were to happen with her medical equipment or her health and we are not right there to react we may not know about it and the result could be unimaginable. 

Regardless of how difficult, unpredictable and sometimes scary their lives have been, Sutton always finds a way to bring joy and humor to their family. With that being said, they would be forever grateful if there is a way we can bring Sutton the joy and comfort she deserves by surprising her with a new friend in a service dog.